I 

I 

THE 


SADDLE-HOESE 


A    COMPLETE    GUIDE 

FOR 

EIDIll^G    AND    TRAIITIISrG 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW   YORK: 

ORANGE  JUDD   COMPANY, 

62  &  54  LAFAYETTE  PLACE. 

1891. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1881,  by  tbo 

ORANGE   JUDD    COMPANY, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Chapter  I. 
How  to  Use  a  Horse - 9 

Chapter  H. 
In  the  Saddle 14 

Chapter  HI. 
Bits  and  Bitting 31 

Chapter  FV. 
The  Mount,  Reins,  etc ^- 43 

Chapter  V. 
Horse  Gymnastics 50 

Chapter  VI. 
Hands  and  Legs 55 

Chapter  VII. 
The  Walk,  Trot,  GaUop,  etc 62 

Chapter  VIII. 
Vices,  Tricks,  and  Faults 68 

Chapter  IX. 
Early  Education  of  the  Horse.. 72 

Chapter  X. 
French  Method  of  Training 85 

Chapter  XI. 
When  Ladies  Ride .- 93 


(7) 


RIDING  AND  TRAINING  SADDLE-HORSES. 


CHAPTEE    I. 

HOW  TO  USE  A  HORSE. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  the  Americans  are 
each  year  taking  more  kindly  to  horseback  riding,  with  a 
growing  desire,  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  for  a  practical 
knowledge  of  the  foundation  of  horsemanship.  This  is 
largely  owing,  doubtless,  to  the  pleasure  and  benefit  de- 
rived from  the  exercise,  as  well  as  to  the  fact  that  now 
considerable  attention  is  being  paid  to  breeding  good 
saddle-horses,  while  the  improvements  m  American  sad- 
dlery have  been  so  great,  much  of  the  discomfort  and 
danger  of  horseback  riding  has  been  overcome.  At  the 
present  time,  there  is  an  active  demand  for  fine,  hand- 
some, mettlesome,  and  gentle  saddle-horses.  Horseback 
ridmg  Ts  now  considered  by  all  classes  as  a  graceful  ac- 
complishment, and  since  people  of  wealth  and  culture 
have  set  the  fashion,  all  the  world  follows  it,  as  a  matter 
of  course.  Fox-hunting,  polo,  and  other  horseback 
amusements  are  on  the  increase,  necessitating  a  know- 
ledge of  horsemanship  on  the  part  of  those  who  partici- 
pate. Every  American  city  now  has  its  beautiful  parks, 
^      (9)  '■ 


10  RIDING   AXD   TEAIXIN'G   SADDLE-HOESES. 

with  bridle  paths,  and  the  pastime  of  horseback  riding  is 
largely  indulged  in  by  residents  of  the  town,  who  find 
this  one  of  the  most  delightful  forms  of  exercise  at  their 
command.  It  is  not  so  difficult  to  learn  how  to  ride 
horseback  properly  as  many  people  suppose.  In  most 
countries  school-ridinsr  has  advanced  with  the  aze.  and  it 
is  now  recognized,  by  the  professors  of  the  art,  that  each 
man  has  a  seat  peculiar  to  himself,  and  those  movements 
only  are  practised  that  are  necessary  to  give  the  rider 
control  over  his  horse  under  all  circumstances. 

"When  we  see  that  school-riding,  in  one  form  or  another, 
is  used  in  all  armies,  and,  indeed,  wherever  the  horse 
must  be  under  command,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  argue 
the  importance  of  a  knowledge  of  its  laws  by  all  who 
desire  to  ride  well.  And  although,  in  the  extended 
gallop  of  the  hunting-field,  it  is  impossible  to  retain  the 
equilibrium  of  the  mmitge,  the  horse  will  be  the  more 
amenable  for  his  sc':.ooling,  and  the  rider  will  always 
have  the  resources  of  his  art. 

Some  writers  upon  horsemanship  think  it  is  a  mistake 
to  place  children  of  a  tender  age  upon  horseback,  while 
others  are  of  the  oj^inion  that  a  child  is  none  too  young 
to  learn  as  soon  as  it  is  able  to  sit  upon  a  horse's  back. 
In  the  South,  and  many  parts  of  the  West,  children  are 
often  placed  upon  the  back  of  some  old  and  gentle  horse 
while  yet  very  young.  The  result  is,  they  become  accus- 
tomed to  the  movements  of  the  animal,  and  gain  a  seat 
at  a  very  early  age.  There  is  little  danger,  or  risk  of 
injuries,  from  such  a  course.  As  with  the  languages, 
music,  and  dancing,  a  child  can  hardly  begin  to  learn 
how  to  nde  horseback  at  too  earlv  an  a^e.     An  active 


HOW  TO   USE  A  HORSE.  11 

man  may  learn  to  ride  well  at  any  age  ;  and  a  bold  boy 

of  fourteen,  "who  comprehends  the  system  upon  which  he 
is  taught,  may  in  six  months  become  a  good  horseman. 
It  is  not  given  to  all  men  to  excel  in  riding  :  courage, 
activity,  a  perfect  temper,  and  aptitude  for  the  exercise 
are  requisite  for  the  acquirement  of  the  highest  ekill. 
But  a  knowledge  of  a  proper  method  will  give  to  every 
one  comparative  immunity  from  the  dangers  that  attend 
horsemanship.  A  schooled-horse,  confiding  in  his  master 
and  obedient  to  the  spur,  is  not  apt  to  try  his  powers  in 
rebellion ;  and  when  in  hand  and  properly  gathered  he 
will  recover  from  a  mistake  that  might  otherwise  prove 
disastrous. 

In  these  pages  we  present  a  system  of  riding  and  train- 
ing by  which  the  pupil  may  become  his  own  master. 

The  whip  and  the  spur  are  necessary  aids  in  the  educa- 
tion of  the  horse,  and  in  compelling  his  obedience  after 
he  has  been  trained.  The  first  should  be  seldom  used, 
the  latter  never,  to  inflict  punishment.  For  instance,  if 
a  horse  rears,  the  spurs  must  be  employed  to  force  the 
action  of  the  hind-quarters,  and  so  to  drive  him  forward  ; 
but  having  brought  about  that  result,  they  must  not  be 
thrust  into  him  to  pimish  him  for  rearing.  The  horse  is 
to  be  taught  that  the  spur  is  applied  to  make  him  bring 
certain  forces  into  action,  and  when  used  with  discretion 
he  will  respond  to  it :  but  unnecessary  strokes  with  the 
spur  will  rouse  his  resentment,  and  he  will  stubbornly 
refuse  to  obey  its  indications.  It  serves  no  good  purpose 
to  irritate  a  horse,  as  he  will  never  yield  while  angry.  A 
contest  between  horse  and  nder  should  always  be  avoided, 
for,  in  addition  to  the  chances  that  the  former  will  prove 


12  RIDING    AN"D   TRAIJiTING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

the  victor,  a  high-spirited  animal  may  be  made  incurably 
vicious,  when,  by  milder  treatment,  he  could  be  subdued 
without  endangering  his  usefulness.  A  rebuke  in  a  harsh 
tone  of  Yoice  will  generally  suffice  to  correct  a  horse,  and 
he  will  not  know  how  to  resent  it.  The  best  way  to  con- 
trol the  horse  is  through  firmness  and  kindness,  but 
timidity  is  worse  than  severity  in  inducing  vice. 

The  young  horse  soon  becomes  tractable,  and,  as  long 
as  his  temper  is  unruffled,  he  desires  to  do  that  which  is 
required  of  him.  Until  the  spirit  of  rebellion  is  awak- 
ened, he  is  as  anxious  to  avoid  the  perils  of  battle  as  his 
master  should  be.  If,  upon  an  occasion,  he  declines  to 
perform  some  movement  that  is  required  of  him,  let  his 
attention  be  turned  to  that  which  will  please  him,  and 
his  obedience  in  this  will  induce  his  obedience  afterwards 
to  the  first  demand.  To  give  up  to  him  after  a  battle 
will  confirm  his  obstinacy,  but  he  will  soon  forget  his 
unnoticed  defiance.  Under  proper  treatment  he  will  in 
time  yield  to  the  will  of  his  master,  without  dreaming  of 
resistance. 

The  story  of  Tarleton  taming  his  savage  steed  with 
bloody  spurs,  and  the  vivid  descriptions  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  Mexican  breaks  the  spirit  of  the  mustang,  may 
pass  to  adorn  the  pages  of  a  romance,  or  to  heighten  the 
interest  of  a  traveller's  tale.  But,  aside  from  the  cruelty 
and  peril  of  such  methods,  there  remains  the  fact  that 
horses  so  broken  submit  for  the  time  only,  and  the 
struggle  is  to  be  repeated  more  or  less  often.  Except  in 
those  rare  cases  of  horses  naturally  vicious,  and  they  are 
lunatics,  fear  is  the  mastering  passion  of  the  horse.  It 
is  cowardice  that  drives  him   to   desperate   resistance 


HOW  TO   USE  A   HORSE.  13 

against  the  sway  of  his  master ;  the  effort  that  is  suc- 
cessful in  ridding  him  of  his  tyrant  suggests  his  favorite 
Tice. 

If  the  horse  is  taught  to  calm  his  fears  at  the  sound  of 
the  voice  of  man  ;  if  he  is  never  ill-treated,  in  or  out  of 
the  stable;  if  he  does  not  perceive  timidity  upon  the 
part  of  his  masters ;  and  if,  with  all  these  conditions, 
he  is  given  plenty  of  air  and  exercise,  he  will  rarely 
show  vice. 


CHAPTER  II. 
IN    THE    SADDLE. 

In  a  little  book,  called  ''Man  and  Horse/'  published  in 
England,  the  author,  Mr.  March  Phillipps,  gives  most 
sensible  directions  for  learning  to  ride.  Most  books  on 
the  subject  are  of  such  a  professional  character  as  to  be 
nearly  useless  to  an  ordinary  reader  who  wants  to  learn 
about  riding  in  a  common-sense  way. 

Mr.  Phillipps  says  :  "You  want  to  learn  how  to  sit  a 
horse.  Very  good;  then  put  aside  for  the  present  all 
anxiety  about  managing  and  guiding  him.  Your  present 
business  is,  wherever  he  may  go  or  whatever  he  may  do, 
to  continue  steady  upon  his  back.  Therefore,  leave  it  to 
some  one  else  to  take  care  that  he  goes  where  he  ought 
and  does  nothing  which  he  ought  not.  You  are  at  pres- 
ent in  the  situation  of  a  landsman  going  to  sea,  and  must 
not  think  of  steering  until  you  have  got  your  sea  legs." 

This  injunction  suggests  the  fundamental  principle  of 
the  whole  art  of  learning  to  ride,  which  is  to  learn  one 
thing  at  a  time,  and  to  learn  that  thing  well,  before 
attempting  anything  else.  As  there  can  be  no  good 
riding  without  a  good  seat,  the  learner's  whole  attention 
should  be  devoted  for  days  or  weeks  or  months,  as  may 
be  necessary,  to  acquiring  it,  giving  no  thought  to  any- 
thing else.  Never  mind  the  management  of  the  horse, 
that  will  come  in  due  time.  Learn  to  be  as  perfectly  at 
(14) 


IK  THE   SADDLE.  15 

home  in  a  oonstantly  moving  saddle  as  in  a  stationary 
arm-chair — so  that,  whether  the  horse  walks,  trots,  or 
canters,  shies  or  jumps,  you  will  either  remain  immov- 
ably in  the  saddle,  or  get  back  to  your  proper  position 
when  disturbed  from  it,  without  effort  or  loss  of  time. 
Bear  in  mind,  too,  that  in  acquiring  a  seat,  it  is  just  as 
easy  to  acquire  a  good  one  as  a  bad  one,  while  only  the 
good  seat  (and  there  is  but  one  good  seat)  will  enable  you 
under  all  circumstances  to  ride  safely  and  well.  With- 
out a  good  seat,  no  amount  of  skill  in  the  management 
of  a  horse  will  be  of  much  use.  So  begin  at  the  begin- 
ning, and  devote  your  whole  attention  to  acquiring  an 
easy  and  secure  position  under  all  circumstances.  Do 
not  even  trouble  yourself  about  the  manner  of  mounting 
and  dismounting. 

The  proper  seat  on  horseback  is  one  in  which  the 
crotch  and  the  hips  are  as  firmly  attached  to  the  saddle 
as  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  ;  the  legs  below  the  knee 
as  free  and  independent  as  possible  ;  and  the  body,  from 
the  waist  upward,  perfectly  supple  and  pliable.  "What- 
ever movement  the  horse  makes,  the  hips  must  conform 
to  it,  moving  to  the  right  or  the  left,  or  tipping  back- 
ward or  forward,  as  the  case  may  be.  But  while  they 
follow  the  changing  position  of  the  saddle,  the  legs,  from 
the  knees  downward,  must  be  free  to  move  in  obedience 
to  the  rider's  will ;  and  the  upper  part  of  the  trunk, 
keeping  its  perfect  balance,  must  move  easily  on  a  flex- 
ible spine  and  accommodate  itself  instinctively  to  every 
movement. 

If  a  man's  body  were  cut  off  at  the  lower  part  of  the 
waist,  the  natural  pressure  of  the  thighs  against  the 


16  RIDIl^G   AI^D   TEAIKIi^G   SADDLE-HORSES. 

saddle  would  easily  hold  the  hips  in  a  firm  position.  If 
a  whalebone  rose  out  of  the  severed  trunk,  supporting  a 
heavy  weight  two  feet  above  it,  the  hips  would  still  be 
free  to  move  with  the  saddle ;  but  if  for  the  whalebone 
we  were  to  substitute  a  stiff  rod,  the  movement  of  the 
hips  would  communicate  a  movement  to  the  weight, 
which  in  its  turn,  being  at  the  long  end  of  a  lever,  would 
wrench  them  from  their  position. 

The  spine  of  the  rider  represents  the  whalebone  or  the 
rod,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  the  chest,  head,  and  arms 
represent  the  weight.    If  the  lower  spine  be  kept  flexible, 
the  upper  part  of  the  body  will  not,  from  a  sudden 
motion  of  the  horse,  be  started  from  its  position  by  the 
movement  of  the  hips  ;  but  if  it  be  rigid,  it  will  commu- 
nicate the  movement  to  the  heavy  mass  above,  and  this 
movement,  once  started,  will  be  continued,  acting  on  the 
spine  as  a  lever  to  remove  the  hips  from  their  place. 
This  effect  can  be  fully  illustrated  by  standing  erect  and 
throwing  the  weight,  first  on  one  leg  and  then  on  the 
other,  holding  the  lower  spine,  first  supple  and  then 
rigid.     'Sfe  have  dwelt  thus  long  on  this  point,  which  is 
probably  never  thought  of  Dy  one  poor  horseman  out  of 
five  thousand,  because  it  is  the  foundation  of  good  riding. 
Until  the  ability  to  preserve  a  supple  loin  under  all  cir- 
cumstances is  acquired,  the  rider  is  in  danger  of  a  fall  at 
any  moment ;  and  it  will  always  be  impossible  for  hmi 
to  ride  gracefully  or  with  comfort.     But  while  the  supple 
loin  is  of  the  first  importance,  an  erect  position  of  the 
body  is   hardly  less   so.      The  position   on    horseback 
should  resemble   the  position  when  sitting  on  a  high 
stood,  rather  than  on  a  low  chair.     On  the  chair,  the 


IIS"  THE  SADDLE. 


17 


weight  is  supported  on  the  seat,  behind  the  hips,  and  the 
spine  has  a  tendency  to  curve  outward,  and  the  shoulders 
and  chest  to  droop  forward.  On  the  stool,  the  legs  hang- 
ing down,  the  weight  is  supported  more  directly  under 
the  hips,  the  spine  is  curved  inward,  and  the  head  and 


Fio'.    1.— AN   INSECURE  SKAT. 

chest  are  more  easily  thrown  backward.  This  is  the 
position  assumed  by  a  good  horseman  ;  the  weight  of  the 
upper  part  of  tlie  body  being  suiDported  on  an  inward- 
curving  and  flexible  spine.  And  it  is  the  position  to 
which  the  learner  must  so  accustom  himself  that  it  be- 


18  RIDING   AKD  TRAINING   SADDLE-H0ESE8. 

comes  almost  a  second  nature  to  assume  it  whenever  in 
the  saddle.  As  many  of  our  readers  are  not  familiar 
with  the  wonderful  comic  pictures  of  John  Leach,  in 
which  the  good  and  bad  seat  on  horseback  are  better 


Fig.  2.— A  SECURE  SEAT. 

shown  than  anywhere  else,  we  reproduce  here  two  that 
will  answer  our  purpose. 

Figure  1  shows  the  stiff  and  awkward  bearing  of  an 
unaccustomed  rider,  who  has  hired  a  livery-stable  horse 


Iiq^  THE  SADDLE.  19 

for  a  holiday.     Figure  2  the  upright,  Hthe  position  of  a 
good  horseman. 

And  now,  how  to  get  this  seat.  Saddle  your  horse, 
unbuckle  the  stirrups  and  take  them  out ;  let  the  reins 
He  on  his  neck,  and  call  in  the  services  of  a  friend  to  hold 
and  lead  him.  Divest  yourself,  in  this  way,  of  all  respon- 
sibility as  to  his  conduct.  Get  into  the  saddle  in  any 
way  you  please  (the  manner  of  mounting  is  a  secondary 
consideration,  and  it  may  be  learned  later).  Turn  your 
toes  inward,  press  your  knees  against  the  saddle,  but  not 
your  calves,  and  open  the  back  part  of  the  thighs  as  far 
as  possible.  This  will  bring  tlie  flat  of  the  thighs  agamst 
the  saddle,  and  give  the  largest  possible  contact  with  it. 
Curve  the  spine  inward,  and  throw  the  shoulders  back. 
This,  being  an  unaccustomed  position  for  you,  will  seem 
awkward,  and  will  look  awkward,  and  you  can  at  first 
only  maintain  it  at  an  expense  of  a  considerable  rigidity 
of  the  spine.  Let  your  arms  hang  listlessly  by  your 
sides.  Holding  fast  mainly  by  the  knees,  shift  your  seat 
from  side  to  side  with  as  little  swaying  as  possible  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  body.  Vary  the  exercise  by  swinging 
the  body  itself  from  side  to  side  and  from  front  to  rear, 
while  the  seat  is  firm.  Continue  this  exercise,  no  matter 
how  long  it  takes,  until  your  trunk  is  pivoted  in  your 
hips  so  that  you  can  move  it  m  any  direction  while  keep- 
ing the  spme  curved  inward.  Do  not  at  any  time  hug 
the  horse's  sides  with  the  calves  of  the  legs,  but  let  the 
lower  legs  hang  loosely.  The  thighs  should  neither  hang 
too  straight  up  and  down,  nor  be  raised  too  high  at  the 
knee,  but  should  take  that  position  which  gives  the 
firmest  hold  on  the  saddle.     Having  become  perfectly  at 


20  EIDIKG   AXD   TRAIXIi^Q   SADDLE-HORSES. 

home  "svliile  the  horse  is  quiet,  let  him  be  led  at  a  walk, 
increasing  the  speed  after  a  time,  and  finally  let  him  be 
galloped  with  a  long  bridle  rein,  nntil,  under  all  his 
motions,  you  feel  comfortable  and  easy,  and  have  learned 
to  depend  only  on  your  thighs  and  the  flexibility  of  your 
body  to  maintain  your  position.  Boys  will  learn  this  in 
less  time  than  men,  and  some  boys  in  less  time  than 
others ;  but  all  must  make  up  their  minds  to  learn  it, 
howeyer  long  it  takes,  before  they  can  become  thor- 
oughly good  horsemen  and  can  really  enjoy  riding  at  all 
paces. 

The  practice  prescribed  haying  been  perseyered  in  until 
the  pupil  has  made  himself  perfectly  at  home  in  the 
saddle,  and  so  suppled  his  loins  that  the  motion  giyen  to 
the  upper  part  of  the  body  has  no  effect  on  the  seat,  he 
may  now  resume  the  stirrups  and  learn  their  use.  They 
are  yery  important  as  a  matter  of  conyenience  and  com- 
fort, but  they  should  aid  a  rider  to  easily  regain  his  seat 
when  he  has  lost  it,  rather  than  to  keep  it.  It  is  yery 
fatiguing  to  ride,  eyen  at  a  walk,  with  the  legs  dangling 
at  the  horse's  sides,  and  especially  so  when  they  are  kept 
in  the  position  already  indicated — the  only  position  that 
can  giye  a  secure  seat.  In  walking,  a  gentle  support  of 
the  stirrups  will  help  keep  the  body  from  swaying  from 
side  to  side  as  the  horse  moyes.  In  trotting,  where  stir- 
rups are  almost  indispensable,  they  enable  the  horseman 
to  either  "  rise  to  the  trot,"  or  to  so  distribute  the  shock 
in  "riding  hard,"  that  it  shall  be  no  shock  at  all,  but  an 
easy,  quick  moyement,  distributed  between  the  feet,  the 
seat,  and  the  thighs. 

The  length  of  the  stirrups  should  be  carefully  attended 


rN"  THE  SADDLE.  21 

to.  Take  the  proper  position  in  the  saddle,  with  the 
whole  inner  part  of  the  thighs,  as  far  down  as  the  knees, 
pressing  firmly  and  immoYably  against  the  saddle,  and 
the  legs  below  the  knees  hanging  vertically — the  toes 
pointing  a  little  downward.  Then  have  the  stirrup- 
leathers  so  adjusted  that  the  irons  will  just  touch  the 
hollows  of  the  feet,  giving  them  support  without  raising 
their  position.  There  will  then  be  no  danger  that  the 
stirrups  will  disturb  the  seat,  either  by  raising  the  knees 
or  by  the  effort  of  the  rider  to  reach  down  to  them  when 
the  straps  are  too  long,  while  by  drawing  back  the  feet, 
so  that  their  balls  rest  on  the  irons,  a  leverage  will  be 
given — from  the  balls  of  the  feet  to  the  ankle  joints — 
that  will  be  sufficient  to  maintain  an  even  pressure,  even 
if  the  person  is  thrown  a  little  from  the  saddle  by  the 
movement  of  the  horse.  As  men's  legs  and  their  arms 
are  generally  of  proportionate  length,  and  as  the  stirrups 
are  usually  fastened  a  certain  distance  down  on  the  sides 
of  the  saddle,  the  stirrups  are  of  the  proper  length  when 
the  whole  length  of  leathers  and  irons  is  a  trifle  less  than 
that  of  the  arm  and  hand ;  that  is,  lay  the  tips  of  the 
fingers  on  the  band  of  the  leathers  where  they  pass 
around  the  bolt  on  the  sad.dle-tree,  and  draw  the  irons 
toward  the  arm-pit.  If  they  just  touch  the  muscle 
under  the  shoulder-blade  (not  reaching  away  into  the 
ribs),  the  straps  are  usually  of  the  right  length. 

In  ordinary  riding,  it  is  best  to  have  the  baU  of  the 
foot  touch  the  stirrups,  as  the  play  of  the  ankle-joint 
gives  more  elasticity  to  the  support ;  but  in  rough  gal- 
loping or  leaping,  it  is  best  to  ^^  drive  the  feet  home," 
and  carry  the  stirrup  in  the  hoUows.     Especially  must 


22 


EIDING   AND  TRAINIiq-Q   SADDLE-HORSES. 


small  stirrups  be  avoided.  The  irons  should  not,  of 
course,  be  so  large  that  the  boot-heels  can,  by  any  acci- 
dent, get  through  them,  but  there  should  be  ample  room 
for  the  foot  to  be  thrust  in  and  out  with  perfect  freedom. 
This  will  be  one  of  the  best  safeguards  against  the  worst 
mishap  that  can  befall  an  unhorsed  rider — that  of  being 
dragged  by  the  heels  by  a  runaway  horse,  owing  to  the 
binding  of  the  foot  in  the  stirrup.  There  have  been 
numerous  devices  made  to  prevent  this  calamity.     The 


Fiff.  3.— SAFETY  STIRRUP. 


only  one  of  them  that  is  even  tolerably  sure  (and  that 
one  is  nearly  perfect),  is  shown  in  figure  3.  This  is 
simply  an  an-angement  for  closing  the  back  part  of  tho 
iron  by  which  the  stirrup-leather  is  fastened  to  the 
saddle,  with  a  movable  piece  held  in  place  by  a  spring, 
exactly  as  the  blade  of  a  pocket-knife  is  held.  It  takes  a 
sharp  jerk  to  open  this  catch,  but,  unless  it  is  allowed  to 
become  fastened  with  rust,  it  will  yield  to  much  less 
strain  than  that  of  a  falling  rider.  These  safety  irons 
are  attached,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  all  English  saddle- 


IK  THE   SADDLE. 


trees.  We  shall  not  here  discuss  the  construction  of  sad- 
dles, but  the  beginner  will  be  most  likely  to  use  the 
saddle  that  he  can  get  most  conveniently.  Whether  this 
is  a  *^McClellan"  saddle,  figure  4,  a  Mexican,  figure  5, 


Fig.  4.— MCCLELLAN  SADDLE, 

or  the  better  English  saddle,  figure  6,  or  the  Whitman, 
is  not  very  important  at  the  commencement. 

Precisely  as  he  has  schooled  his  muscles  to  the  require- 
ments of  his  new  position  without  the  aid  of  stirrups,  so 
must  the  learner  now  learn  to  make  proper  use  of  them, 
and  he  should  attempt  nothing  further  until  he  has 
learned  how  to  use  these  accessories — that  is,  how  to  use 
them  as  accessories  only,  not  as  an  essential  dependence. 
Their  most  important  office  is  to  rest  the  legs,  and  to 


24  RIDING   AND   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

relieve  the  muscles  of  the  fatiguing  work  of  keeping  the 
seat  firm  at  all  times.  So  long  as  there  is  no  unusual 
disturbance  of  the  position,  it  is  well  to  depend  mainly 
on  the  stirrups  to  preserve  it ;  but  any  sudden  start,  in 
whatever  direction,  should  find  the  knees  and  thighs  at 
once  ready  to  perform  their  duty  of  grasping  the  saddle. 


Fiff.  5. — ^MEXICAN  SADDLE. 

This  cannot  be  the  case  if  the  weight  is  thrown  too  much 
on  the  feet ;  but  it  is  also  important  to  learn  to  stand  in 
the  stirrups  (while  the  horse  is  in  motion),  turning  so  as 
to  look  to  the  rear,  and  to  throw  the  weight  first  on  one 
foot  and  then  on  the  other  ;  in  short,  to  assume  every 
possible  position  rapidly  and  easily,  for  all  this  adds  im- 


IK   THE   SADDLE.  25 

mensely  to  the  security,  freedom,  and  grace  of  the  seat. 
It  is  only  in  this  way  that  one  can  hope  to  become  so  per- 
fect a  horseman  as  to  justify  the  old  description  as  being 
^'sb  part  of  the  horse,"  of  '^  seeming  to  grow  out  of  the 
horse's  back." 

This  branch  of  the  subject — acquiring  a  good  seat  with 
and  without  the  aid  of  stirrups — may  be  appropriately 
closed  by  a  quotation  from  **Man  and  Horse":    *^  When 


Fig.  6.— ENGLISH  SADDLE. 

you  can  sit  your  horse  perfectly  in  his  trot  and  canter, 
you  possess  a  seat  such  as  not  one  rider  in  half-a-dozen 
ever  acquires,  you  are  still  far  from  being  a  good 
horseman,  you  can  not,  indeed,  properly  speaking,  be 
termed  a  horseman  at  all.  But  you  may  look  forward 
with  confidence  to  becoming  what  most  men  would  con- 
sider an  excellent  horseman  ;  because  you  have  had  the 
pationce  and  perseverance  to  drudge  on  until  you  have 
2 


26  RIDING   AND   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

been  bumped  and  jolted  into  a  smooth  and  solid  union 
with  your  saddle.  It  is  by  the  absence  of  this  union,  and 
by  the  abrupt  shocks  and  displacements  to  which  they 
are  consequently  exposed,  that  so  many  riders  are  dis- 
abled from  acquiring  the  proper  use  of  their  hands  and 
legs  ;  consequently  from  ever  becoming  masters  of  their 
horses." 

The  next  step  should  be  to  free  yourself  from  your 
bondage  to  the  person  who  has  up  to  this  time  managed 
your  horse  for  you  ;  and  a  real  bondage  it  is,  as  you  will 
find  when  you  first  attempt  to  take  him  in  hand  yourself. 
You  may  even  have  been  somewhat  accustomed  to  riding 
before  your  present  exercises  commenced,  yet  you  will 
feel  very  awkward  when  you  first  attempt  to  repeat  your 
lessons  while  managing  the  animal  yourself ;  for  the 
mere  fact  cf  having  to  do  something  with  your  hands 
will  have  a  tendency  to  constrain  your  position.  It  gives 
the  body  another  employment,  and  the  combination  of 
demands  upon  it,  and  upon  the  attention,  must  be  made 
familiar  before  it  can  become  easy.  There  is  no  other 
rule  than  to  learn  one  thing  at  a  time,  and  then  to  learn 
the  combination  of  each  with  all  that  has  preceded  it, 
before  taking  the  next  step ;  and  this  rule  is  equally 
applicable  to  the  man  and  to  the  horse.  Both  are  **  get- 
ting the  knack"  of  an  artificial  habit,  and  they  must 
learn  it  gradually,  or  they  will  never  learn  it  at  all. 

Major  Francis  D  wyer,  an  English  ofiicer  in  the  Austrian 
cavalry  service,  wrote  a  work  on  ^' Seats  and  Saddles,  Bits 
and  Bitting,"  which  has  the  advantage  of  being,  in  some 
respects,  different  from  other  books  about  horsemanship. 

The  theory  advanced  with  regard  to  seats  is,  that  at  a 


IN   THE   SADDLE.  27' 

point  of  the  horse's  back,  directly  over  the  fourteenth 
vertebra — that  is,  about  half  way  between  the  withers  and 
the  coupling  (or  top  of  the  hips) — there  is  located  what 
he  calls  the  center  of  motion  and  the  center  of  strength  ; 
the  central  point  from  which  the  forces  of  the  horse, 
when  carrying  weight,  may  be  figuratively  said  to  radiate. 
In  other  wo»'ds,  this  is  the  point — the  middle  of  the  back 
— where  weight  can  be  most  easily  carried,  where  the 
least  motion  will  be  imparted  to  it,  and  where  its  distri- 
bution will  be  most  equal  over  all  four  of  the  horse's  feet; 
consequently,  it  is  over  thys  point  that  the  rider's  center 
of  gravity  should  fall.  As  the  rider  should  sit  in  the 
middle  of  his  saddle  in  order  that  it  may  transmit  his 
weight  equally  over  so  much  of  the  horse's  back  as  it 
touches,  the  middle  of  the  saddle  should  be  over  this 
center  of  motion.  As  the  fastening  of  the  saddle  by  the 
girths  should  be  directly  under  the  rider's  center  of  grav- 
ity, it  follows  that  they  should  be  under  this  center  of 
motion.  And,  again,  as  it  is  important  that  when  the 
rider's  weight  is  transferred  to  the  stirrups,  it  should  not 
thereby  be  transferred  to  another  point  on  the  saddle, 
the  attachment  of  the  stirrups  should  also  be  in  the 
center  of  the  saddle.  The  reasoning  on  which  these  di- 
rections are  based  seem  sound  ;  but  they  are  so  different 
from  the  practice  in  which  the  writer  has  been  trained, 
that  he  cannot  fully  indorse  the  recommendation  without 
trial,  though  he  is  quite  ready  to  advise  that  they  be  borne 
in  mind,  and  that  they  be  conformed  to  as  nearly  as  the 
construction  of  our  present  saddles  will  admit.  His  own 
inclination  would  be  to  set  the  saddle  a  little  further  for- 
ward, and  to  place  the  stirrups  a  little  in  advance  of  its 


•28  RIDIl^G   AND   TRAINIi^Q   SADDLE-HORSES. 

center,  adhering  of  course  to  the  injunction  that  the 
rider's  weight  should  be  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
saddle,  and  the  girths  attached  directly  in  its  middle. 
Major  Dwyer  is  undoubtedly  correct  in  objecting  to  what 
is  called  the  chair-seat,  where  the  rider  sits  far  back  on 
the  saddle  and  supports  his  legs  by  stirrups  attached  near 
its  front ;  and  his  illustration  of  the  sort  of  seat  that  is 


Fig.  7.— THE   MODERN  MILITARY  SEAT. 

best  (see  fig.  7),  is  certainly  very  good  indeed,  and  may 
well  be  taken  as  a  model  of  elegance,  ease,  and  safety  for 
the  imitation  of  the  learner. 

Mr.  Apperley,  a  celebrated  English  authority  on  fox- 
hunting, says  :  "  When  hounds  find  and  go  away,  place 
yourself  well  down  in  your  saddle,  on  your  fork  or  twist ; 
and  do  not  be  standing  up  in  your  stirrups  (as  was  for- 
merly the  fashion,  and  the  cause  of  many  a  dislocated 
neck),  sticking  out  your  rump  S;S  if  it  did  not  belong  to 
you  ;"  and  he  accompanies  his  direction  with  a  very  in- 


IK  THE  SADDLE. 


Ji9 


S)  RIDING   AND  TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

structive  illustration  of  a  bad  and  a  good  seat  (fig.  8). 
As  riding  is  an  imitative  art,  there  is  really  much  more 
to  be  learned  from  these  ilkistrations  than  from  any  de- 
scription that  it  is  in  our  power  to  give  ;  but  the  rider 
should  always  bear  in  mind  that  a  well-balanced  horse, 
in  turning  to  the  right  or  the  left,  turns  on  its  center  of 
gravity,  or  '^center  of  motion;"  and  that  if  the  rider's 
weight  is  placed  to  the  front  or  rear  of  this  position,  it 
will  not  only  impede  the  horse's  free  ir  ovement,  but  will 
feel  much  more  disturbance  than  if  in  its  proper  position. 
The  learner,  if  he  really  desires  to  become  a  first-rate 
horseman — and  it  is  only  when  stimulated  by  this  de- 
fiire  that  one  can  really  enjoy  learning  to  ride — should 
consider  well  what  experience  has  shown  to  be  the  best 
position  (as  indicated  in  our  cuts),  and  jontinue  his  prac- 
tice until  this  position  becomes  the  most  easy  and  natural; 
it  surely  will  become  so  by  sufficient  practice,  and,  when 
a  good  seat  is  once  obtained,  it  can  no  more  be  forgotten 
than  the  art  of  swimming. 


1^ 


^^mm 


CHAPTER  III. 
BITS    AND    BITTING-. 

The  second  part  of  Major  Dwyer's  book,  which  is  per- 
haps even  more  valuable  than  the  first,  relates  to  *'  Bits 
and  Bitting ,"  and  he  shows  more  conclusively,  than  any 
writer  who  has  preceded  him,  the  importance  of  great 
care  in  the  adjustment  and  management  of  the  bit  and 


Fig.  9.— HEAD-GEAR  FOR  YOUNG  HORSES. 

bridle,  giving  some  opinions  which  are  quite  new  to  the 
writer,  and  which  are  obviously  important. 

His  device  for  the  head-gear  of  a  young  horse  that  is 
to  bo  broken  for  any  purpose,  or  of  any  horse  that  is  to 
be  trained  to  the  saddle,  we  show  in  figure  9.     This  is  an 
(31) 


32  RIDING    AKD   TRAIi^ING    SADDLE-HORSES. 

ordinary  snaffle-bridle,  with  a  single  pair  of  reins,  with 
the  check-pieces  drawn  short  enough  to  cause  the  bit  to 
touch  lightly  in  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  There  is  at- 
tached to  it,  by  two  straps  buckled  one  into  each  check- 
piece,  a  nose-band,  or  strap,  which  passes  around  the 
nose  quite  below  the  bit,  but  high  enough  to  take  its 
bearing  on  the  bone  rather  than  on  the  cartilage  of  the 
nose.  This  strap  is  drawn  tight  enough  to  prevent  the 
horse  from  opening  his  mouth  to  any  considerable  width. 
There  is  no  way  in  which  a  colt  does  more  to  make  him- 
self insensible  to  the  action  of  the  bridle  than  by  stretch- 
ing open  his  jaw  and  bearing  against  the  bit.  From  the 
position  of  this  nose-band,  it  is  entirely  out  of  the  way 
of  both  bridle  and  bit ;  and  as  the  mouth  is  not  entirely 
bound  together  by  it,  it  can  in  no  way  interfere  with 
proper  control  by  the  rider.  It  simply  prevents  the 
horse  from  resorting  to  a  very  common  means  of  defence. 
Another  apparatus  described  must  be  very  useful  not 
only  in  training,  but  in  the  management  of  all  horses 
who  have  the  trick  of  carrying  their  heads  so  high  as  to 
cause  the  bit,  when  pulled  upon,  to  ride  up  into  the  cor- 
ners of  their  mouths  instead  of  bearing,  as  it  should  do, 
against  the  lower  jaw.  It  should  be  equally  valuable  in 
preventing  an  animal  from  tossing  his  head  in  a  fitful 
way,  as  many  horses  do.  It  is  at  the  same  time  entirely 
free  from  the  grave  objections  that  hold  against  all  forms 
of  martingales,  having  nothing  Avhatever  to  do  with  the 
reins,  and  subjecting  the  horse  to  no  constraint  so  long 
as  he  carries  his  head  in  the  proper  position.  It  is  called 
a  "  running-rein,"  and  is  shown  in  figure  10.  A  short 
strap,  d,  about  six  inches  long,  with  a  buckle  at  each  end. 


BITS  AXD   BITTING. 


33 


is  fastened  to  two  rings  of  the  snaffle,  and  passes  under 
the  horse's  chin.  At  the  middle  of  this  strap  there  is 
attached  another,  i,  three  or  four  inches  long,  at  the  end 
of  which  there  is  a  stout  smooth  ring,  c,  an  inch  or  more 
in  diameter.  There  is  a  strap,  Ic,  around  the  neck  which 
supports  another,  I,  that  passes, back  to  the  girth  of  the 
saddle,  as  with  the  ordmary  martingale  ;  but  this  latter 
strap,  instead  of  being  split  into  two  parts,  as  in  the 


Fig.  10.— KUNNING-REIN. 

martingale,  extends  six  or  eight  inches  beyond  the  neck- 
strap,  where  it  carries  another  smooth  ring,  h,  somewhat 
larger  than  the  one  under  the  chin.  These  rings  are  bet- 
ter made  of  ivory ;  but  iron,  if  smooth,  would  answer 
tolerably  well.  The  *'  running-rein,"  e  to  /,  is  of  the 
width  of  an  ordinary  bridle-strap,  eight  and  a  half  feet 
long.  It  not  made  of  one  piece  of  leather,  its  joints 
should  not  be  within  two  feet  of  the  center.     One  of  its 


34  BIDING   AND  TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

ends  is  furnished  with  a  buckle,  and  a  tongue-strap 
eighteen  inches  long,  which  is  to  be  buckled  through  a 
staple  or  D-ring  on  the  left  side  of  the  saddle  near  the 
pommel.  The  other  end  of  the  strap  is  then  passed 
through  the  ring,  h,  in  front  of  the  horse's  breast,  then 
through  the  ring,  c,  under  his  chin,  then  again  through 
the  breast-ring,  h,  and  brought  up  to  the  rider's  right 
hand,/.  This  arrangement  gives  him  more  power  to 
draw  the  horse's  head  down  to  its  proper  position  than 
any  other  device  in  use.  So  long  as  the  animal  behaves 
himself,  the  slackening  of  the  ^^running-rein"  leaves  him 
perfect  freedom,  but,  when  necessary,  the  least  pull  acts 
with  double  force  on  his  head  and  draws  it  in  a  down- 
ward direction. 

'  Whether  a  horse  is  to  be  used  for  riding  or  for  driving, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  use  of  the  '^  running-rein," 
and  the  nose-band  bridle  would  offer  the  best  means  for 
his  proper  training,  and  would  do  very  much  to  prevent 
the  restiveness  that  is  so  common  a  result  of  the  ordinary 
methods,  and  would  often  prevent  the  trainer's  loss  of 
temper,  which  has  more  effect  in  spoiling  the  disposition 
of  the  animal  than  have  his  own  inherited  qualities. 

Even  more  important  than  the  Saddle — so  far  as  the 
management  of  the  horse  is  concerned — is  ths  apparatus 
by  which  his  movements  are  to  be  regulated  and  re- 
strained :  that  is,  the  ^^Bit."  The  various  forms  of  bit 
sold  by  saddlers,  even  in  the  largest  cities,  are  almost  in- 
variably faulty.  They  are  made  without  much  consider- 
ation of  the  use  to  which  they  are  to  be  put,  and  often 
fail  to  produce  much  effect,  except  as  a  means  of  tortur- 
ing the  horse  into  a  kind  of  sullen  obedience.    It  is  one  of 


BITS  AN"D   BITTING.  36 

the  offices  of  the  bit  to  produce  pain  ;  but  only  when  the 
horse  resists  its  action,  and  then  only  so  much  as  may  be 
necessary  to  secure  submission  to  the  rider's  will.  As  he 
will  instinctively  yield  to  a  pressure  that  would  cause  pain 
if  he  did  not  yield,  and  as,  if  the  pain  is  produced  from 
both  directions,  he  will  try  so  to  move  as  to  escape  from 
that  which  is  the  more  intense,  it  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance that  the  bit  be  constructed  in  such  a  manner, 
and  so  placed  in  the  mouth,  as  to  impel  his  head  in  the 
right  direction — that  is,  toward  the  rider's  hand. 

The  bit  rests  against  the  ^^bars"  of  the  lower  jaw, 
those  parts  of  the  jaw  where  there  are  no  teeth.  It  has 
two  levers,  one  at  each  side ;  one  end  of  each  of  these 
levers  projects  upward,  carrying  the  chain  that  passes 
under  the  chin,  and  the  other  ends  project  downward  to 
receive  the  reins,  by  which  the  force  is  to  be  applied. 
The  object  is  to  have  the  chin  serve  as  a  fulcrum,  so  that 
when  a  strain  is  applied  to  the  lower  ends  of  the  levers, 
the  pressure  on  the  bars  will  be  sufficiently  suggestive  of 
pain  to  cause  the  horse  to  draw  in  his  head.  If,  from 
bad  construction  or  improper  adjustment,  the  chain  be- 
comes more  painful  than  the  bit,  the  horse  will  withstand 
the  lesser  pain  in  his  mouth  to  escape  the  greater  pain 
behind  it,  and  will  thrust  out  his  head  in  obedience  to 
the  real  impulsion.  In  this  case  the  bit  is  virtually  the 
fulcrum,  and  the  stronger  impression  is  produced  by  the 
chain.  It  is  in  the  principle  herein  suggested  that  we  are 
to  seek  the  solution  of  the  greatest  difficulties  connected 
with  proper  bitting ;  and  its  close  observance  is  necessary 
to  complete  success.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  bit  is  so  faulty,  that  it  is  impossible  for  it  to 


36 


RIDING    AND   TRAINING    SADDLE-HORSES. 


act  as  it  should,  and  instead  of  inducing  obedience,  we 
arouse  opposition.  The  reason  for  the  prejudice  against 
curb-bits,  among  those  who  consider  them  instruments 
of  iorture,  is,  that  as  they  are  generally  used,  they  are 
instruments  of  torture.  It  is  impossible  to  ride  really 
well  on  an  average  horse  without  a  curb-bit ;  but  it  is 
impossible  to  ride  well  on  any  horse,  unless  the  curb-bit 
is  properly  made  and  properly  adjusted.     Its  importance 


f.  11. — CKIKB-BITTING. 

is  sufficient  to  justify,  a  careful  explanation,  for  which 
purpose  the  above  illustration,  figure  11,  is  taken  from 
Major  Dwyer's  book. 

The  point,  d,  shows  the  position  of  the  bit  in  the 
mouth  ;  e,  is  what  is  known  as  the  ^^chin-groove,"  which 
is  easily  seen  on  any  horse.  The  head-stall  should  in  all 
cases  be  of  such  a  length  as  to  allow  the  bit,  d,  to  lie  ex- 
actly opposite  the  chin-groove.  This  is  the  only  place 
where  it  will  not  do  more  harm  than  good,  unless  the 
horse  is  remarkably  well  broken ;  /,  is  the  point  where 
the  rein  is  attached,  at  the  end  of  the  lower  arm  of  the 


LIT3   AND   BITTING.  37 

lever;  a,  h,  c,  represent  the  ends  of  tlie  upper  arms 
of  the  lever,  showing  what  would  be  their  action  if 
they  were  of  different  lengths.  These  are  the  points 
where  the  curb-chain  is  attached  to  the  bit.  The  rule 
which  has  been  established  by  experience  is,  that  this 
upper  arm  of  the  lever  should  be  exactly  as  long  as  the 
perpendicular  distance  from  d  to  e.  This  allows  the 
chain,  l,  e,  to  lie  easy  and  naturally  in  the  chin-groove 
without  pinching,  when  the  rein  is  held  lightly,  yet  to 
exercise  a  strong  leverage  when  the  reins  are  drawn.  For 
instance,  when  the  point,  /,  is  drawn  back  to  the  point, 
liy  it  will  not  be  able  to  move  much  farther,  and  a  strong 
pressure  will  be  brought  to  bear  on  the  mouth.  If  the 
upper  arm  of  the  lever  were  twice  as  long  as  the  distance 
from  d  to  e,  reaching  to  a,  the  chain  a  e,  if  hanging  in 
the  chin-groove,  would  have  very  little  effect,  except  to 
pinch  and  torture  the  horse,  producing  the  most  pain 
upon  the  jawbone,  just  above  the  chin-groove,  causing 
the  horse  to  throw  up  his  head  to  escape  it.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  upper  arm  of  the  lever  were  made  only 
half  as  long  as  the  distance  from  d  to  e,  reaching  to  c, 
the  chain  would  have  very  little  effect,  unless  it  were 
drawn  so  tight  as  to  be  uncomfortable  even  with  a  loose 
rein ;  so  tight,  indeed,  that  it  would  soon  chafe  the  chin- 
groove  and  make  that  so  painful,  that  at  the  least  touch 
of  the  rein  the  principal  effect  would  be  produced  there 
ratlier  than  in  the  mouth,  and  the  horse  would  again  be 
caused  to  throw  up  his  head. 

If  the  upper  arm  of  the  lever  is  of  the  proper  length, 
reaching  to  5,  when  the  lower  end  of  the  lever  is  drawn 
back  to  h,  the  upper  end  will  be  advanced  to  g,  and  the 


88  KIDING   AND  TRAIiq^IKG   SADDLE-HORSES. 

chain  will  draw  on  the  line  g  to  e,  drawing,  almost  exactly, 
at  right  angles  to  the  jawbone  at  the  chin-groove,  bring- 
ing the  chain  flat  against  it,  creating  the  least  possible 
amount  of  pain  there,  and  affording  a  firm  fulcrum,  from 
which  force  may  be  directly  applied  to  the  bars  at  the 
mouth. 

The  length  of  the  lower  levers  need  not  be  made  so 
exactly  according  to  rule.  The  longer  they  are,  the  more 
effect  will  be  produced  with  a  given  amount  of  force  ap- 
plied to  the  reins.  Perhaps  a  safe  rule  would  be  to  make 
them  twice  as  long  as  the  upper  arms  of  the  levers.  This 
is  enough  for  the  control  of  the  worst  cases,  and  more 
than  this,  as  is  usual,  increases  the  difficulty  of  light 
handling.  The  construction  of  that  part  of  the  bit  which 
lies  in  the  horse's  mouth,  connecting  the  two  side  levers, 
is  important.  Its  length  should  be  just  such  as  to  allow 
the  levers,  which  should  be  turned  out  a  little  at  the  top 
to  make  room  for  the  leathers,  to  play  freely  over  the 
sides  of  the  face  without  chafing.  The  bit  should  not 
be  too  long,  nor  should  the  upper  ends  of  the  levers  be 
too  much  turned  out  lest  the  chain  be  straightened  out, 
and  caused  to  rest  only  against  the  bones  of  the  jaw ; 
whereas  it  ought  to  follow  closely  around,  touching  the 
skin  for  at  least  three  inches  of  its  course.  Curb-chains 
are  made  flat,  so  that  when  twisted  into  shape,  they  lie 
almost  as  smooth  as  a  band  of  leather  against  the  chin. 
The  larger  they  are,  and  the  larger  the  wire  of  which 
they  are  made,  the  easier  and  better  they  will  be.  They 
are  attached  by  spring-hooks  to  the  eyes  of  the  upper 
ends  of  the  levers.  The  mouth-piece  of  the  bit  should 
also  be  of  generous  size  in  those  parts  that  lie  against  the 


BITS   AKD   BITTII^G. 


39 


bars,  being  much  less  painful  than  if  small.  That  part 
of  the  bit  lying  between  the  bars  should  be  made 
of  thinner  iron  and  a  httle  elevated,  forming  what  is 
called  the  port  or  tongue-groove,  preventing  the  horse 
from  taking  the  pressure  on  his  tongue,  as  he  might  do 
if  the  bit  were  straight,  and  thus  beconiing  heavy  or  dull 
in  the  hand. 

The  lower  ends  of  the  levers  or  '^ branches"  may  be 
either  straight  or  curved.     If  straight,  they  should  have 


■"bauchee' 


eyes  a  little  above  the  points  where  the  reins  are  attached, 
to  carry  what  is  called  the  lip-strap ;  a  small  leather  that 
passes  through  a  loose  string  in  the  curb-chain,  and  is 


40  RIDIiTG   AND   TRAIi>riJ^G    SADDLE-HORSES. 

buckled  to  the  lever  on  each  side.  The  object  of  this 
strap  is  to  prevent  the  horse  from  taking  the  branch  of 
the  bit  in  his  teeth  and  destroying  the  effect  of  the  curb; 
a  trick  that  most  horses  soon  learn,  and  which  they 
know  how  to  take  advantage  of.  Figure  12  represents 
what  is  called  the  ^'Baucher"  bit,  and  is  copied  from 
one  that  the  Avriter  has  had  in  use  for  many  years. 

To  avoid  the  complication  and  cost  of  the  lip-strap. 


Fig.  13.—"  MCCLELLAN  "   BIT. 

the  curbed  branch,  or  lower  lever,  is  adopted  for  army 
use  ;  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it  is  not  equally  suitable 
for  the  use  of  civilians.  It  brings  the  iron  in  such  a  posi- 
tion that  the  horse  cannot  possibly  get  hold  of  it.  This 
bit  is  shown  in  figure  13,  the  "  McClellan  "  bit. 


BITS  AKD   BITTTKG.  41 

The  foregoing  details  will  seem  to  those  who  are  not 
familiar  with  the  niceties  of  riding,  to  be  needlessly 
minute  and  particular.  Many  a  man  will  say  that  any 
bit  is  good  enough  for  him ;  just  give  him  a  good  strong 
pair  of  reins  to  hang  on  by  ( !)  The  proper  reply  to  this 
IS,  that  this  is  nob  written  so  much  for  him,  though  he 
needs  its  information  more  than  any  one  else,  if  he  only 
knew  it,  but  for  those  who  really  care  to  become  good 
horsemen.  'No  one  can  ride  with  pleasure  on  a  horse  that 
has  a  bee  incessantly  trying  to  sting  him  under  the  chin. 
His  fear  of  the  bee  introduces  a  disturbing  element  that 
counteracts  all  our  efforts  to  make  him  attend  steadily  to 
his  duty ;  and  an  ill-fitting,  badly  placed  bit  causes  hardly 
less  disturbance. 

There  are  many  points  to  be  attended  to  in  the  proper 
equipment  of  a  saddle-horse,  nearly  all  of  them  points  of 
minor  detail,  yet  they  are  important,  too  ;  for  unless  the 
rider's  weight  is  properly  placed,  and  unless  he  has  the 
proper  means  for  controlhng  and  guiding  his  horse,  there 
can  be  no  comfort,  or  gracefulness,  or  pleasure  for  the 
man.  There  must  also  be  a  loss  of  endurance  and  smooth- 
ness of  working  for  the  animal ;  and  as  it  costs  no  more, 
save  in  attention,  to  have  things  right  than  to  have  them 
wrong,  there  need  be  no  excuse  for  failure  in  essential 
points. 


CHAPTEE  rV. 
THE   MOUNT,   EEINS,    ETC. 

We  have  now  given  our  learner  a  preliminary  shaking 
into  a  smooth  and  secure  seat  by  mounting  him  on  a 
horse  whose  management  is  intrusted  to  a  friend,  have 
taught  hina  the  use  of  the  stirrups,  and  have  shown  him 
what  sort  of  saddle  and  bridle  he  needs  for  his  outfit. 
He  is  now  ready  to  begin  to  learn  to  be  a  horseman,  and 
he  may  next  be  taught  to  mount  properly. 

He  should  first  learn,  if  young  enough  for  such 
efforts,  to  vault  into  the  saddle.  We  now  and  then  hear 
of  Princes,  and  the  like,  who  lay  one  hand  on  the  pom- 
mel and  ^'gracefully  vault  into  the  saddle,"  but  we  do 
not  see  the  feat  performed  except  by  skillful  acrobats,  and 
it  is  not  very  gracefully  performed  even  by  them.  The 
following  method,  however,  demands  but  little  skill  or 
strength,  and,  while  always  a  good  way  to  mount,  is 
sometimes  the  only  way  it  is  practicable  to  mount  a 
restive  horse. 

1,  Stand  facing  the  horse's  left  shoulder ;  2,  adjust 
the  reins  in  the  left  hand,  and  take  a  lock  of  the  mane 
in  it ;  3,  lay  the  right  hand  on  the  pommel  of  the  saddle, 
with  the  fingers  inside  and  the  thumb  outside  of  it ;  4, 
spring  upward  and  throw  the  whole  weight  on  the  hands, 
with  the  crotch  at  the  hight  of  the  saddle,  figure  14 ;  5, 
(42) 


THE   MOUXT,    EEIXS,    ETC. 


43 


raise  the  right  leg  slowly,  well  over  the  horse's  croup, 
without  bending  the  knee,  and  drop  lightly  into  the 
saddle — during  this  movement  most  of  the  weight  is 
borne  by  the  right  arm  ;  G,  withdraw  the  hands  from  the 
neck  and  pommel,  and  put  the  feet  into  the  stirrups. 
These  movements  should  be  practised  until  it  becomes 
easy  to  make  them  moderately.  It  looks  very  awkward 
tu.  SCO  a  man  ^'^ scramble"  into  his  seat  by  hookmg  his 


Fig.  14.— LEARNING  TO  MOUNT. 

right  leg  over  the  saddle  and  tugging  himself  over  by  his 
hands.  As  soon  as  your  horse  is  accustomed  to  the 
manoeuvre,  and  will  stand  quietly,  practice  the  two  move- 
ments, 4  and  5,  separately ;  first  learn  to  spring  from 
the  ground  to  the  position  described,  and  to  drop  easily 
down  again  without  effort,  and  without  kicking,  and 
learn  to  handle  the  weight,  when  up,  by  raising  the  body 
until  the  knees  are  on  a  level  with  the  hands,  and  set- 
tling  back  again.     This  movement  depends  very  much 


44  RIDING   AN"D  TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

on  the  ability  to  handle  the  weight  of  the  person  with 
the  arms,  and  will  need  a  little  practice,  which  may  as 
well  be  taken  on  a  wooden  horse  or  a  bar,  fastened  five 
feet  from  the  ground,  a  little  higher  after  this  has  be- 
come easy.  In  short,  make  it  easy  to  get  into  this  ele- 
vated position,  and  to  feel  unrestrained  while  in  it. 
Next,  learn  to  get  the  control  of  your  right  leg,  so  that 
it  becomes  natural  and  easy  to  throw  it  over  the  horse's 
croup  with  a  bold  swing,  not  poking  it  over  knee  fore- 
most, and  to  carry  it  so  high  that  there  is  no  danger  of 
touching  his  hips  with  the  toe,  nor  of  scraping  his  flank 
with  the  spur,  as  the  foot  descends.  Keep  up  the  alter- 
nate motions  of  throwing  the  leg  over  the  saddle,  and  of 
returning  again  to  the  erect  position,  until  you  can 
arrest  the  movement  at  any  point,  and  have  such  perfect 
command  of  the  weight  that  you  can  be  sure  of  getting 
lightly  into  the  saddle  under  all  circumstances.  This 
knack,  once  acquired,  will  never  be  lost,  and  you  may  be 
sure  of  mounting  any  horse,  except  a  bad  rearer,  on 
whose  neck  and  saddle  you  can  lay  your  hands  ;  that 
much  accomplished,  you  are  sure  of  him,  and  you  can 
safely  dismount  by  reversing  the  movements,  in  spite  of 
his  efforts  to  give  you  a  fall. 

While  this  vaulting  is  a  very  valuable  knack  to  possess, 
the  ordinary  steady,  sober  citizen  whom  we  are  address- 
ing, will  usually  wish  to  mount  with  the  stirrup.  It  is 
curious  to  see  what  different  ways  different  people  adopt 
to  do  so  simple  a  thing.  Some  practice  the  old  military 
system  :  standing  at  the  side  of  the  horse's  neck,  face  to 
the  rear,  with  the  left  hand  holding  the  reins  and  a  lock 
of  the  mane,  they  hold  the  stirrup  with  the  right  hand. 


THE   MOUNT,    REINS,    ETC. 


45 


figure  15,  put  the  left  toe  into  it,  give  two  hops,  which 
slews  them  round  until  they  face  the  horse  and  catch  the 
cantle,  or  back  part  of  the  saddle  with  the  right  hand, 
then  rise  and  get  their  seat.  The  first  position  of  this 
manner  of  mounting  exposes  the  rear  of  the  rider  to  a 
bite  from  the  horse,  which,  the  hand  being  engaged  in  ■ 
the  mane,   he  is  powerless    to    prevent.      A  beginner 


Fig.  15.— OLD  MILITAKT  MOUNT. 

usually  takes  hold  of  both  ends  of  the  saddle,  finally 
manages  to  get  his  toe  into  the  dangling  stirrup,  and 
then  struggles  with  more  or  less  difficulty  into  the 
saddle,  where,  for  a  moment,  he  has  no  control  of  the 
horse,  who,  if  he  is  at  all  spirited,  commences  the  exer- 
cises by  a  very  confusing  start. 

The  correct  manner  of  mounting  with  the  aid  of  the 
stirrup  is,  in  our  opinion,  the  following  :  1,  Stand  op- 
posite the  cantle  of  the  saddle,  face  to  the  front,  with 
the  right  hand,  holding  the  rein  short  enough  to  feel  the 
horse's  mouth,  far  over  the  right  side  of  the  cantle  ;  2, 


46 


RIDIi^G   AI^D   TRAIKIKG   SADDLE-HOESES. 


take  the  lower  part  of  the  stirrup-leather  in  the  left 
hand,  and  steady  it  while  introducing  the  left  foot,  figure 
16;  3,  give  a  spring,  npward  and  forward,  throwing  the 
weight  as  evenly  as  possible  on  the  left  foot  and  on  the 
right  hand,  so  as  not  to  turn  the  saddle,  grasping  the 
lower  part  of  the  mane  with  the  left  hand  in  rising,  and 
standing  erect  in  the  stirrup,  with  the  feet  touching  each 
other ;    4,  throw  the  right  leg,  without  bending  the 


Fig.  16. — PROPER  WAY   TO  MOUNT  WITH  STIRRUP. 

knee,  well  over  the  horse's  croup,  and,  ra's'ng  the  right 
hand  at  the  same  time,  drop  lightly  into  the  saddle ; 
5,  as  the  right  hand  is  raised  from  the  cantle,  let  go  of 
the  mane,  and  receive  the  reins  between  the  fingers  of 
the  left  hand,  letting  go  Tvdth  the  right  as  soon  as  they 
are  properly  adjusted. 

After  the  left  hand  has  seized  the  mane  the  horse  cannot 
prevent  the  rider  reaching  his  seat ;  and  the  rider  firmly 
establishes  himself  before  he  withdraws  either  hand. 

There  is  no  difficulty,  for  one  who  is  not  infirm,  to 


IN   THE   SADDLE.  47 

mount  in  this  way,  and  the  only  objection  that  can  be  made 
to  it,  is  that  by  a  '^ cow-kick"  the  man  standing  at  the 
girth  may  receive  an  injury.  But  this  is  a  rare  vice,  and 
a  horse  that  kicks  is  dangerous  to  approach,  for  mount- 
ing or  for  any  other  purpose  ;  so  that  it  is  hardly  worth 
while  to  abandon  a  system  that  is  otherwise  excellent, 
because  it  does  not  apply  to  a  very  small  class  of  vicious 
brutes,  that  should  not  be  used  for  saddle  under  any  cir- 
cumstances. 

On  the  other  hand,  nearly  every  horse  will  paw  with  a 
fore-foot,  if  at  all  impatient,  and  he  who  stands  in  front 
of  the  shoulder  of  a  horse  is  not  secure  from  injury. 
Among  the  other  disadvantages  of  the  generally  adopted 
method,  mention  may  be  made  of  the  following  : 

1.  The  rider,  standing  in  front  of  the  shoulder  of  the 
horse,  may  be  upset  by  a  forward  movement ;  and  this 
danger  is  greatly  mcreased  after  the  foot  is  put  into  the 
stirrup. 

2.  The  left  hand,  entangled  and  held  in  the  hairs  of 
the  mane,  cannot  use  the  reins. 

3.  The  drag  upon  the  cantle  of  the  saddle  must,  in  all 
cases,  disturb  its  position,  and  may  cause  it  to  turn. 

4.  The  right  arm  fastened  to  the  cantle  of  the  saddle 
prevents  the  right  leg  passing  over  the  back  of  the  horse. 

5.  To  pass  the  right  leg  over  the  horse,  the  right  arm 
must  be  removed ;  thus  taking  away  the  principal  brace 
ot  the  body  at  the  most  critical  time,  and  allowing  the 
body,  in  case  of  any  movement,  to  fall  backwards  towards 
the  shoulder  of  the  horse. 

6.  The  absence  of  a  reason  for  any  one  motion  in  the 
method. 


4S  KIDIXG    AND   TRAILING    SADDLE-HORSES. 

Upon  the  seat  depends  the  security  of  the  rider,  not 
only  as  regards  his  remaining  upon  the  horse,  but  in  per- 
mitting him  to  use  that  lightness  and  delicacy  of  touch 
that  is  required  to  manage  and  control  the  horse.  It 
has  often  been  said  that  this  desired  lightness  of  touch  is 
a  rare  gift,  wholly  denied  to  strong  men.  But  if  a  man 
has  a  seat  that  is  independent  of  any  support  from  the 
reins,  he  may  acquire  a  light  touch  upon  the  mouth  of 
the  horse  as  readily  as  he  may  make  a  fine  stroke  with  a 
pen. 

Each  man  has  a  seat  peculiar  to  himself,  and  that  will 
be  his  seat  for  all  purposes,  whether  in  the  field,  upon  the 
road,  or  in  the  school. 

It  will  be  obtained  in  the  following  manner  : — 

After  having  reached  the  saddle,  disengage  the  left  foot 
from  the  stirrup.  Then  bearing  the  weight  of  the  body 
upon  the  buttocks,  make  the  inner  sides  of  the  thigh, 
from  the  knee  up,  grasp  the  saddle.  The  body  must  be 
held  erect,  the  shoulders  thrown  back,  and  the  chin 
drawn  in  ;  and  the  elbows  should  be  carried  close  to  the 
sides. 

The  legs,  from  the  knee  down,  should  hang  without 
stiffness,  and  the  feet  will,  without  effort,  find  their 
proper  place,  parallel  with  the  body  of  the  horse. 

The  length  of  stirrup-leather  will  be  found  when  the 
tread  of  the  iron  strikes  the  heel  of  the  boot  immediately 
above  the  junction  of  the  sole.  The  toes  will  be  raised 
and  inserted  in  the  stirrups  as  far  as  the  balls  of  the  feet. 

The  stability  of  the  seat  is  dependent  upon  the  weight 
of  the  body,  the  balance,  and  the  grasp  of  the  thighs. 
The  erect  seat  upon  the  breech,  that  we  have  described, 


IK   THE   SADDLE.  49 

permits  the  body  to  make,  most  readily,  those  motions 
that  are  necessary  for  preserving  the  perpendicular  appli- 
cation of  the  weight,  and  for  keeping  the  balance.  The 
strongest  hold  upon  the  saddle  possible  is  with  the  inside 
of  the  thighs. 

There  should  be  no  pressure  upon  the  stirrups ;  for 
this  would  relieve  the  weight,  disturb  the  balance,  and 
force  the  grip  of  the  thighs.  It  is  no  argument  in  favor 
of  riding  upon  the  stirrups  that  the  horsemen  of  the  East 
carry  their  knees  up  to  the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  for  the 
Mexicans,  who  are  better  riders,  extend  the  leg  to  its  full 
length.  It  is  in  spite  of  bad  systems  that  these  peoples 
who  live  on  horseback  become  skillful  m  the  management 
of  their  steeds.  Because  a  circus  performer  standing 
upon  one  leg  keeps  his  horse  under  circumstances  that 
would  prevent  a  poor  rider  from  keeping  in  his  saddle,  it  is 
no  argument  that  the  proper  way  to  ride  is  upon  one  leg. 

The  seat  having  been  found  and  the  stirrups  having 
been  adjusted,  no  changes  should  be  made  for  the  differ- 
ent circumstances  under  which  the  rider  will  be  called 
upon  to  exercise  his  skill.  It  is  bad  art  when  the  prin- 
ciples are  not  suited  to  every  emergency ;  and  the  seat 
that  has  been  found  to  be  that  in  which  the  center  of 
gravity  can  best  be  preserved  in  the  high  airs  of  the 
manege,  where  the  horse  makes  the  most  violent  move- 
ments of  the  fore-hand  and  of  the  croup,  should  answer 
aU  requirements. 

The  beginner  will  use  the  reins  of  the  snaffle  only.  He 
will  take  a  rein  in  the  grasp  of  each  hand,  the  loose  end 
passing  under,  and  held  by  the  thumb,  at  a  length  that 
will  give  him  command  of  the  mouth  of  the  horse. 


50  RIDING   AND  TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

In  teaching  the  horse  the  changes  of  direction,  as  is 
described  in  the  chapter  upon  ^^  Hands  and  Legs,"  one 
hand  will  hold  the  curb,  the  reins  divided  by  the  little 
finger  and  grasped  by  the  thumb  ;  while  the  snaffle-reins 
will  be  held  above  those  of  the  curb,  divided  by  the 
breadth  of  the  other  hand. 

There  are  various  ways  prescribed  for  holding  the 
reins  in  riding  the  trained  horses,  but  we  prefer  the 
following  method  : — 

In  the  left  hand  :  the  curb-reins  divided  by  the  little 
finger ;  the  snaffle-reins  divided  by  the  middle  finger ; 
the  ends  of  both  sets  carried  up  through  the  hand  and 
secured  by  the  thumb,  which  should  be  uppermost  and 
pointed  to  the  ears  of  the  horse.  By  bending  the  wrist 
to  the  right  so  that  the  knuckles  come  uppermost,  the 
head  of  the  horse  will  be  carried  to  the  right  and  the 
change  made  in  that  direction.  By  bending  the  wrist  to 
the  left,  so  that  the  finger-nails  come  uppermost,  the 
horse  will  be  turned  to  the  left.  There  should  never  be 
tension  on  the  two  bits  at  the  same  time.  The  horse 
should  be  ridden  upon  the  curb  ;  the  snaffle  will  be  used 
to  fix  the  hight  of  his  head,  and,  occasionally  to  take  the 
place  of  the  curb  to  freshen  the  mouth. 

The  right  hand  will  be  carried  upon  the  loose  ends  of 
the  reins  to  assist  the  left. 


CHAPTER     V. 
HORSE    GYMNASTICS. 

The  following  exercises  will  be  found  of  great  service 
in  giving  strength  to  the  seat,  in  aiding  the  balance,  m 
teaching  the  habit  of  regaining  a  lost  position  without 
disturbing  the  tension  of  the  reins,  and  in  giving  ease 
and  grace  to  all  the  motions  of  the  rider. 

When  so  indicated,  these  movements  will  be  made  from 
the  position  prescribed  for  ''the  seat." 

1.  In  the  seat,  with  the  arm  hanging  motionless  by 
his  side,  let  the  pupil  take  away  one  thigh  from  contact 
with  the  saddle  and  bring  it  back  into  its  place,  with  the 
point  of  the  knee  turned  in  as  much  as  possible,  the 
movement  being  made  by  a  rotation  of  the  hip-jomt. 
This  should  then  be  done  with  the  other  leg. 

2.  From  the  seat,  and  the  rest  of  the  body  is  quiet, 
raise  both  knees  to  meet  above  the  pommel  of  the  saddle, 
and  bring  them  back  to  the  saddle,  making  the  inner 
sides  of  the  thighs  take  as  many  points  of  contact  as 
possible. 

3.  In  the  seat,  keeping  the  thighs  close  to  the  saddle, 
let  the  pupil  lean  back  until  his  shoulders  touch  the  rump 
of  the  horse ;  then  let  him  quietly  recover  his  erect 
position. 

4.  In  the  seat,  keeping  the  buttocks  in  the  saddle  and 
the  thighs  in  place,  let  the  pupil  lean  forward  and  slightly 

(51) 


52  RIDING   AlsD   TRAII^ING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

to  one  side  until  one  of  his  shoulders  touches  the  crest 
of  the  horse.     Then  let  him  slowly  recover  his  position, 

5.  In  the  seat^  let  the  body  sway  forward,  to  one  side, 
to  the  rear,  to  the  other  side,  and  then  into  position  ; 
then  reverse  the  movement. 

6.  Lose  the  seat  to  the  right,  and  without  aid  from 
the  hands  bring  the  body  back  into  the  saddle  by  a  quick 
turn  of  the  buttocks  ;  then  make  the  movements  to  thc 
other  side.  This  should  be  practised  at  the  walk,  at  the 
trot,  and  at  the  gallop. 

For  the  Balaj^ce. — 1.  In  the  seat,  the  arms  hanging 
without  stiffness,  carry  the  right  leg  over  the  pommel  to 
the  left  side  ;  then  carry  both  legs  over  to  the  right ;  then 
come  back  to  the  seat  by  carrying  the  left  leg  to  its  place. 

2.  In  the  seat,  carry  the  right  leg  over  the  pommel  to 
the  left  side  ;  then  work  the  body  upon  the  buttocks  as  a 
pivot  until  the  face  is  to  the  rear.  Carry  the  left  leg  over, 
then  the  right  leg,  and  work  the  body  upon  the  buttocks 
as  a  pivot  until  the  face  is  to  the  front.  Resume  the 
seat  by  carrjang  the  left  leg  over  the  pommel  to  its  place  ; 
then  reverse  the  movement. 

For  the  Legs  and  Feet.— 1.  In  the  seat,  keeping 
the  knees  fixed,  bring  the  lower  part  of  first  the  one  leg 
and  then  the  other,  as  high  up  on  the  ■  side  of  the  horse 
as  possible,  without  either  touching  the  horse  or  moving 
the  knee.  This  movement  should  be  done  at  the  walk, 
at  the  trot,  and  at  the  gallop,  so  that  the  rider  may  have 
perfect  control  of  the  action  of  the  legs  m  directing  the 
movements  of  the  croup. 

2.  In  the  seat,  the  legs  hanging  without  stiffness  and 
the  rest  of  the  body  quiet,  rotate,  first  the  one  foot  and 


HOeSE   GYMKASTICS.  53 

then  the  other,  from  the  ankle  joint,  with  an  outward 
and  then  an  inward  movement.  The  improvement  in 
this  exercise  may  be  measured  by  the  facility  with  which 
the  pupil  can  gain  his  stirrups  by  the  action  of  the  feet 
only. 

To  Mount. — Standing  at  the  shoulder  of  the  horse, 
facing  the  near  side,  seize  a  lock  of  the  mane  close  to  the 
crest,  the  hairs  passing  down  through  the  hand,  the 
thumb  uppermost. 

With  the  right  hand  grasp  the  pommel  of  the  saddle, 
the  fingers  under  the  tree,  the  thumb  extended  towards 
the  ground. 

Leave  the  ground  with  a  spring  and  take  the  weight 
of  the  body  upon  the  arms  until  the  fork  is  level  with  the 
withers  of  the  horse,  resting  a  moment  m  this  position. 

Carry  the  right  leg  over,  and  sink  quietly  into  the 
saddle. 

Eelease  the  holds  upon  the  mane  and  the  pommel. 

To  those  who  have  never  tried  it,  this  movement  ap- 
pears to  be  difficult.  It  is,  in  fact,  very  easy,  and  should 
be  accomplished  after  a  few  trials  by  any  one  who  is  active 
enough  to  undertake  ridmg.  It  should  be  performed  at 
the  walk,  at  the  trot,  and  at  the  gallop.  At  the  gallop 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  carry  the  body  over  too  much 
in  putting  the  right  leg  across  the  horse,  nor  neei  the 
body  be  carried  so  high  as  when  the  horse  is  at  rest,  nor 
IS  the  momentary  stop  to  be  observed. 

To  Dismount. — Seize  the  mane  and  pommel  as  m 
mounting.  Bear  the  weight  upon  the  straightened  arms 
as  the  right  leg  is  brought  over  to  the  left  side.  Hold 
the  body  for  a  moment  perpendicularly  to  the  side  of  the 


54 


RIDING   AND  TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 


horse,  the  whole  weight  being  supported  by  the  two  arms. 
Drop  gently  to  the  ground  at  the  shoulder  of  the  horse. 
This  may  be  done  at  the  gallop,  by  avoiding  the  momen- 
tary rest  and  coming  down  ]3repared  to  take  a  few  steps 
with  the  horse,  after  which  the  holds  upon  the  mane  and 
pommel  should  be  released. 

General  Exercises. — 1.  From  the  seat,  grasping 
each  side  of  the  fore-part  of  the  saddle,  bear  the  weight 
of  the  body  upon  the  extended  arms,  turning  the  balanced 
body  first  one  way  and  then  the  other. 

2.  From  the  seat,  grasping  each  side  of  the  fore-part 
of  the  saddle,  throw  the  body  forward  upon  the  slightly 
bent  arms  towards  the  neck  of  the  horse  ;  and  throwing 
up  the  legs  in  rear,  cross  them,  and  come  into  the  saddle 
faced  to  the  rear. 

3.  From  this  position,  place  the  palms  of  the  hands 
upon  the  rump  of  the  horse,  and  performing  a  move- 
ment similar  to  the  above,  come  into  the  saddle  faced  to 
the  front. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
HANDS    AND    LEGS. 

The  liorso  is  propelled  by  the  hind-quarters,  and  the 
m-.^voments  are  directed  by  the  forehand.  The  legs  of 
the  rider  act  upon  the  croup,  and  by  their  pressure  bring 
forward  those  forces  ;  the  hand  restrains  the  forces  of  the 
forehand,  and  collects  and  guides  all.  When  the  forces 
of  the  croup  are  brought  forward  to  such  a  point  that 
they  meet  and  balance  the  forces  of  the  forehand,  the 
horse  is  in  equilibrium,  and  no  movement  can  be  gener- 
ated until  one  or  other  of  the  forces  predominate. 

As  the  legs  act  upon  the  forces  of  the  croup,  and  as 
the  hand  governs  the  forces  of  the  forehand,  it  will  be 
seen  that  this  union  and  balance  of  the  forces  puts  the 
immediate  and  distinct  control  of  the  mass  within  the 
power  of  the  rider. 

The  forward  movement  of  the  horse  will  be  measured 
by  the  effect  of  the  forces  of  the  croup  to  predommate, 
and  the  corresponding  yielding  of  the  forces  of  the  fore- 
hand. 

But  if  the  force  opposite  the  augmented  force  does  not 
yield,  then  that  unyielding  part  is  the  more  firmly  fixed 
to  the  ground,  as  by  an  incumbent  weight,  and  if  action 
takes  place  it  must  either  be  in  rearing  or  in  kicking. 

If  the  forces  of  the  croup  predominate,  and  the  fore- 
(55) 


56  EIDIIs^G   AND   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

hand  does  not  yield  to  correspond,  then  the  action  of 
this  latter  part  is  hampered.  But  if,  as  the  forces  of  the 
croup  seek  to  advance  the  point  of  union,  an  advance  is 
made  by  the  fore- quarters,  the  equilibrium  may  still  be 
approximately  obtained.  That  is,  if  this  equilibrium  is 
to  be  maintained,  the  forward  movement  of  the  forehand 
will  be  permitted  as  the  forces  of  the  croup  are  brought 
forward. 

If  the  speed  is  to  be  increased,  the  legs  will  act  upon 
the  croup,  and  the  hand  will  give  freedom  to  the  fore- 
hand. If  it  is  desired  to  moderate  the  speed,  the  forces 
of  the  forehand  will  be  brought  back ;  and  when  they 
are  brought  back  to  a  point  where  they  balance  the  forces 
of  the  croup,  a  halt  is  brought  about.  If  the  forces  of 
the  forehand  are  brought  back  beyond  this  point  of  bal- 
ance, the  mass  must  move  back,  or  undue  weight  must 
fall  upon  and  fix  the  croup. 

It  is  the  object  of  the  rider  to  maintain  the  approxi- 
mate equilibrium  in  all  the  movements  of  the  horse. 
But,  to  obtain  the  control  of  these  forces,  all  the  resist- 
ances, active  or  by  the  will  of  the  horse,  and  passive  or 
by  the  weight  of  the  horse,  must  be  overcome. 

That  is,  the  horse  must  be  suppled  in  the  forehand 
and  in  the  croup,  must  obey  the  legs,  and  be  amenable 
to  the  bit.  The  method  of  supplying  the  croup  and  of 
teaching  obedience  to  the  pressure  of  the  legs,  will  be 
treated  at  length  in  the  chapter  upon  ''  The  Early  Edu- 
cation of  the  Horse."  We  shall  now  turn  our  attention 
to  the  forehand  and  to  its  sense  of  feeling,  the  mouth. 

The  horse  must  first  be  taught  that  he  can  not  pass 
beyond  the  limit  put  by  the  hand  without  bringing  pain 


HAN-DS   AND   LEGS.  67 

upon  himself,  but  that  so  long  as  he  is  obedient  to  the 
bit  he  finds  comfort.     To  this  end  the  hand  will  firmly 
resist  any  attempts  of  the  horse  to  go  beyond  the  limit 
fixed,  but  it  will  make  a  concession  whenever  he  yields 
his  opposition.     The  next  step  will  be  to  make  him  relax 
his  jaw  and  bring  his  head  into  position,  so  that  there 
will  be  no  opposition  to  the  bit.     To  accomplish  this 
the  rider  will  be  mounted  and  the  horse  will  be  kept 
upon   his   ground.     Taking  the  curb-reins   in   the   left 
hand,  the  rider  will  make  gentle  vibrations  of  the  right 
rem  with  the  right  hand  until  the  horse  gives  the  jaw. 
A  word  of  encouragement  will  be  given,  and  the  tension 
will  be  released.     Then,   changing  the  curb-reins  into 
the  right  hand,  the  same  thing  will  be  done  with  the  left 
rein  by  the  left  hand.      After  the  horse  will  yield  to 
either  side,  he  will  be  induced  to  give  up  the  opposition 
of  the  jaw,  and  bring  the  head  into  position  by  the  same 
vibrating  motions  of  the  two  reins  at  equal  length.     If 
the  horse  hangs  upon  the  bit,  he  will  be  induced  to  bring 
up  his  head  and  carry  his  own  weight  by  a  few  pulls 
upon  the  snaffle-bit,  from  below  upwards.     But  there  is 
never  to  be  a  steady  tension  upon  the  bit ;  the  horse  is 
to  be  kept  in  hand  by  a  series  of  slight  touches,  that  are 
to  be  relaxed  the  moment  the  resistance  ends.     When 
there  is  a  steady  pull,  no  matter  how  light  it  may  be,  the 
equilibrium  is  destroyed. 

By  a  pressure  of  the  legs  the  horse  will  be  made  to 
bring  his  hind-legs  in  under  him,  a  forward  movement 
being  prevented,  and  lightness  in  front  being  secured,  by 
the  means  above  recited.  When  these  forces  from  the 
forehamd  and  from  the  croup  are  gathered  and  balanced. 


58  RIDING   AND  TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

the  horse  is  in  equilibrium,  and  is  ready  for  any  move- 
ment without  further  preparation. 

After  these  lessons  have  been  repeated  at  the  halt, 
until  he  desists  from  opposition,  he  will  be  put  into  the 
walk,  the  trot,  and  the  gallop,  the  approximate  equilib- 
rium being  at  all  times  demanded.  If  he  attempts  to 
go  beyond  the  bit  he  must  be  restrained,  and  lightness 
must  be  kept  up  by  the  gentle,  intermittent  tensions  of 
the  curbs.  If  he  hangs  back,  the  heels  must  keep  the 
forces  of  the  croup  up  to  the  point  that  is  required  by 
the  desired  speed. 

It  is  through  ignoring  the  fact  that  a  horse's  forehand 
may  be  lightened  by  the  play  of  the  bit,  that  induces 
some  writers  upon  riding  to  adopt  crude  and  improper 
means  for  producing  the  different  movements  depending 
upon  that  condition.  A  badly-trained  horse  will  bear 
upon  the  bit  of  the  heavy  hand,  and  instead  of  becoming 
light  in  the  front,  at  its  pressure  upon  the  mouth,  the 
forehand  will  be  the  heavier  for  this  opposition.  It  is 
for  such  horses  and  such  riders  that  some  writers  upon 
the  art  advocate  that  the  head  should  be  pulled  to  the 
left  to  lighten  the  right  shoulder,  when  the  rider  wishes 
his  horse  to  lead  in  the  gallop  with  the  right  side.  Now 
it  is  agreed  on  all  hands  that  a  horse's  head  should  be 
turned  in  the  direction  that  he  goes.  In  the  above  in- 
stance the  head  of  the  horse  is  turned  to  the  left,  and  he 
is  to  lead  off  with  the  right  side.  Then  if  his  head  is 
carried  to  the  right,  to  change  direction  to  that  side,  the 
horse  should,  if  he  answers  to  his  signals,  change  his  leg 
and  be  false  in  his  gallop.  But  when  the  heavy-handed 
rider  has  on  some  occasion  made  his  horse  rear,  he  finds 


HAi^^DS  AKD   LEGS.  69 

that  when  tlie  horse  is  forced  to  yield  to  the  hand  he 
becomes  Hght  in  front,  and  the  theory  we  support  is  in 
that  case  proved. 

We  have  seen  that,  hy  overcoming  the  resistances  of 
the  forehand,  we  can  lighten  that  part  without  violence, 
and  when  we  come  to  the  lesson  upon  the  gallop  the 
same  principles  will  be  applied  to  make  the  horse  lead 
with  either  leg.  For  if  the  forehand  is  made  light  by 
the  proper  action  of  the  bit,  that  side  will  be  made  the 
lighter  upon  which  the  action  is  the  more  strongly  de- 
fined, so  that  to  make  him  lead  off  with  the  right  leg  we 
shall  raise  that  side  with  the  right  rein,  and  the  horse 
will  move  off  with  his  head  in  the  proper  position. 

To  Chakge  Direction. —We  will  suppose  that  the 
horse  has  so  far  progressed  in  his  education  that  he  may 
be  put  into  the  walk,  and  yet  be  so  obedient  to  the  bit 
that  he  retains  the  equilibrium  as  far  as  is  possible. 
Keeping  him  at  a  steady  walk,  the  rider  will  accustom 
him  to  bear  the  pressure  of  the  legs  by  applying  them, 
first  one  and  then  the  other,  as  the  horse  raises  the 
©pposite  fore-leg.  This  will  serve  to  improve  the  action 
of  the  gait,  as  well  as  to  bring  him  to  bear  the  pressure 
of  the  legs  without  flinching.  When  he  will  answer  the 
pressure  of  the  legs  and  bare  heels  by  bringing  forward 
the  forces  of  the  croup,  and  will  measure  his  speed  by 
the  freedom  given  him  by  the  hand,  without  forcing 
himself  upon  it,  he  will  be  accustomed  to  the  spur  until 
he  bears  the  scratch  of  the  rowel  with  the  same  compla- 
cency that  he  bore  the  attacks  of  the  heels.  This  can 
be  brought  about  without  trouble  by  quieting  the  horse 
by  voice  and  hand  after  each  application  of  the  aid. 


60  EIDIiTG   AND   TRAIiq-IifG   SADDLE-HORSES. 

which  at  first  should  be  very  light,  to  gradually  increase 
in  force.  The  spur  should  never  be  given  with  a  shock, 
but  the  foot  should  be  carried  back  and  the  rowel  quietly 
but  quickly  applied  by  lowering  the  toe.  After  the 
horse  finds  that  the  spur  comes  soon  after  the  pressure 
of  the  leg,  he  will  rarely  require  the  application  of  the 
severer  form  of  the  aid,  and  the  whole  education  of  the 
horse  will  tend  to  make  him  quick  and  lively  in  his 
motions,  and  obedient  to  the  slightest  expression  of  his 
master's  will. 

The  horse,  in  hand  and  gathered,  will  be  put  into  the 
walk,  and  the  rider  will  practice  the  change  of  direction 
to  the  right.  Taking  the  curb-reins  in  the  left  hand, 
he  will  hold  the  snaffle  reins  divided  by  the  width  of  his 
right  hand.  Upon  arriving  at  the  point  where  a  new 
direction  is  to  be  taken,  the  rider  will  turn  the  head  of 
the  horse  by  the  direct  application  of  the  right  snaffle- 
rein,  and  when  the  horse  turns  into  the  new  path  the 
left  hand  will  be  carried  to  the  right,  so  that  the  left 
curb-rein  will  press  against  the  left  side  of  the  neck.  The 
legs  of  the  rider  will  give  such  aid  in  bringing  up  the 
croup  in  the  new  direction  as  the  circumstances  may 
require. 

After  the  horse  will  turn  readily  to  the  demand  of  the 
snaffle-bit,  he  will  be  made  to  take  the  new  direction 
with  the  unaided  use  of  the  curb,  the  left  hand  being 
carried  to  the  right  so  that  the  outside  rein  presses  upon 
the  neck,  and  bends  his  head  in  the  direction  he  is  to  move. 

Carrying  the  curb-reins  in  the  right  hand,  and  those  of 
the  snaffle  in  the  left,  the  change  of  direction  to  the  left 
will  be  made  in  a  similar  manner. 


HAl^DS   A1<^T>   LEGS.  61 

The  horse  will  be  accustomed  to  be  brought  to  a  stop 
from  the  walk  bj  the  rider  raising  the  hand  and  leaning 
back  in  the  seat,  and  gently  pressing  with  the  legs  to 
bring  under  the  forces  of  the  croup. 

The  horse  standing,  and  in  equilibrium,  the  rider  will 
induce  him  to  bend  his  head  and  neck,  first  to  one  side 
and  then  to  the  other;  by  the  vibratory  motion  of  the 
direct  curb-rein.  Both  legs  will  be  kept  close  to  the 
sides  of  the  horse  to  keep  him  steady,  the  opposite  leg 
being  rather  closer  to  overcome  resistance  and  to  prevent 
a  movement  of  the  croup  against  it.  The  horse  will  not 
be  permitted  to  carry  back  his  head,  at  will,  from  the 
bent  posture,  but  the  rider  will  bring  it  back  into  posi- 
tion by  the  rein  opposed  to  that  by  which  the  movement 
was  begun. 

It  only  remains,  for  the  present,  that  the  horse  should 
be  taught  to  bend  the  croup,  at  the  application  of  the 
heel,  sufiiciently  to  put  him  into  position  for  the  gallop. 
He  will  first  be  made  to  take  a  step  with  the  hind  legs  to 
the  right  by  the  application  of  the  left  leg,  the  right  rein 
playing  with  the  mouth  to  remove  the  opposition  of  the 
right  shoulder.  By  inverse  means  the  croup  will  be 
moved  a  step  to  the  left.  In  all  movements  of  the  croup 
the  legs  should  be  held  close  to  the  horse,  so  that  the 
action  produced  by  the  one  may  be  readily  checked  by 
the  other. 


CHAPTER    VII. 
THE  WALK,  TROT,   GALLOP,   ETC. 

It  is  not  necessary,  nor  is  it  desirable,  that  the  tight 
grip  of  the  thighs  should  be  maintained  while  at  the 
walk.  The  g'ait  is  so  smooth  that  the  weight  and  the 
balance  will  serve  to  keep  the  rider  in  his  seat,  and  the 
knees  being  in  position,  the  thighs  may  instantaneously 
take  their  hold  in  case  of  a  sudden  start  of  the  horse. 
But  this  ease  should  never  degenerate  into  negligence, 
and  as  a  horse  is  more  apt  to  stumble  at  a  walk  than  at 
a  quicker  gait,  the  rider  must  never  permit  his  attention 
to  be  taken  from  his  horse.  The  horse  should  be  kept 
constantly  in  hand,  particularly  after  any  great  exertion 
that  has  called  upon  his  strength,  for  he  is  much  less 
able  to  recover  from  a  mistake  when  he  is  tired,  and  he 
feels  the  fatigue  less  when  he  is  kept  roused.  In  going 
down  hill,  he  must  have  liberty  enough  to  permit  his 
body  conforming  to  the  slope  of  ground,  so  that  he  may 
extend  his  step  safely. 

For  the  trot,  the  horse  must  be  kept  light,  between 
the  application  of  the  hand  and  legs.  The  speed  will  be 
restrained  by  the  first,  or  augmented  by  the  latter,  at  the 
will  of  the  rider,  whose  efforts  should  be  so  directed  as 
to  give  a  regularly-cadenced  gait  of  equal  action,  in  the 
highest  equilibrium  possible.  The  hight  and  brilliancy 
of  movement  in  the  trot  may  be  governed  by  the  applica- 
(62) 


THE   WALK,   TEOT,    GALLOP,    ETC.  63 

tion  of  first  the  one  and  then  the  other  spur,  as  the 
opposite  fore-leg  of  the  horse  is  raised  to  step  off.  In 
this  way,  it  may  be  developed  into  the  Spanish  trot  of 
the  manege. 

In  the  trot,  the  rider  should  sit  erect,  with  the  shoul- 
ders thrown  back,  and  the  thighs  close  to  the  saddle.  If 
the  rider  rises  to  the  trot,  the  constant  shifting  of  the 
weight  will  greatly  interfere  with  the  equilibrium  of  the 
mass,  but  it  is  not  necessary  that  the  horse  should  get 
out  of  hand  or  be  permitted  to  bear  upon  the  bit.  The 
rider  should  take  no  support  from  the  bit,  but  should 
hold  his  hand  so  that  it  will  be  independent  of  the  mo- 
tion he  allows  his  body  to  make.  To  rise  in  the  trot,  the 
rider  will  make  use  of  the  knees  to  secure  the  seat  and 
allow  his  body,  slightly  sustained  by  the  stirrups,  to  be 
thrown  up  by  the  motion  of  the  horse,  letting  his  weight 
sink  back  into  the  saddle  in  time  to  take  the  next  impe- 
tus of  the  gait.  The  shoulders  should  be  held  easy,  but 
in  rest ;  and  the  legs  should  hang  straight  down  from 
the  knee,  and  must  not  be  permitted  to  work  along  the 
sides  of  the  horse. 

In  the  gallop,  which  is  a  succession  of  leaps,  the  rider 
will  lean  slightly  back,  so  that  the  buttocks  will  be  car- 
ried well  under  him,  and  hold  the  body  without  stiffness. 
The  positions  of  the  body  must,  however,  always  conform 
to  the  action  of  the  horse,  and  to  the  direction  in  which 
he  goes ;  and  practice  must  show  what,  and  how  great, 
these  changes  should  be.  In  the  gallop,  the  horse  must 
be  true,  to  insure  his  balance  and  safe-footing.  To  be 
true  in  the  gallop,  the  fore  and  corresponding  hind-leg 
will  be  in  the  lead  of  that  side  to  which  the  horse  is 


64  BIDING   AND   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

turning  or  moving.  For  instance,  if  it  is  the  intention 
to  turn  or  to  move  the  horse  at  a  gallop  to  the  right,  he 
must  have  the  head  and  croup  bent  to  the  right,  and 
must  take  the  lono^  strides  of  the  srait  with  the  fore  and 
hind-leg  of  that  side.  This  will  preserve  his  center  of 
gravity,  and  in  case  of  a  mistake  he  has  his  legs  in  under 
him  to  help  him  to  a  recovery.  If  the  horse  is  galloping 
in  a  straight  line,  it  makes  no  difference  with  which  of 
his  fore-legs  he  takes  the  long  stride  or  lead,  provided 
the  hind-leg  of  that  side  corresponds.  If  a  horse  takes 
the  long  strides  with  the  right  fore-leg  and  the  left  hind- 
leg  he  is  disunited,  and  has  not  got  his  powers  well  in 
control.  If,  in  turning  to  the  left,  he  is  leading  with 
the  right  legs,  he  can  with  difficulty  retain  the  center  of 
gravity,  and  is  apt  to  fall  at  the  slightest  blunder.  We 
say  that  a  horse  leads  on  that  side  when  he  makes  the 
long  strides  with  the  legs  of  one  or  other  side.  But  the 
fact  is,  the  fore-leg  of  the  other  side  leaves  the  ground 
before  the  fore-leg  which  makes  the  long  stride  does,  and 
the  same  thing  is  true  of  the  hind-legs.  But  the  legs  on 
the  side  to  which  he  has  been  bent  pass  the  others  in 
their  longer  stride,  and  the  horse  is  said  to  lead  with 
them. 

To  put  the  horse  into  the  gallop,  leading  with  the  off- 
leg,  let  the  rider  bring  him  into  equilibrium,  then  light- 
ening the  forehand,  and  particularly  the  right  shoulder, 
with  a  play  of  the  direct  rein,  let  him  press  in  the  left 
heel.  In  consequence  of  these  movements  on  his  part, 
the  horse  will  take  the  gallop  with  the  legs  on  the  right 
side  making  the  larger  strides  ;  for  the  right  shoulder  is 
free  to  extend  itself  in  answer  to  the  propulsion  of  the 


THE  WALK,    TROT,    GALLOP,    ETC.  6$ 

forces  from  the  croup,  and  the  hind-quarters  being  bent 
around  to  the  right,  the  hind-leg  on  that  side  must  fol- 
low with  a  similar  step.  The  croup  of  the  horse,  bend- 
ing to  the  right  at  the  application  of  the  opposite  sptir, 
will  make  the  longer  stride  with  the  hind-leg  that  is  so 
advanced,  and  such  a  movement  is  required  to  preserve 
the  center  of  gravity  under  the  condition. 

The  horse  having  been  put  into  the  gallop,  he  will  be 
aligned  upon  the  path  he  follows  by  means  of  the  hand 
and  legs.  The  trained  horse,  under  the  skilled  rider, 
will  take  the  gallop  upon  the  right  or  upon  the  left  leg 
without  bending  perceptibly ;  for  so  perfect  will  be  the 
equilibrium  and  the  control,  that  the  measured  use  of 
the  aids  will  inaugurate  a  movement  that  will  not  require 
correction. 

For  Leapikg. — The  pupil  should  first  practice  the 
standing  leap,  and  upon  a  well- trained  horse.  The  horse 
standing  at  the  bar  will  be  induced  to  rise  by  transferring 
the  forces  of  the  forehand  back,  and  by  the  pressure  of 
the  legs  will  be  made  to  spring  forwards. 

As  the  horse  rises,  the  rider  will  bend  slightly  forward, 
giving  the  horse  the  reins.  When  the  horse  leaves  the 
ground,  the  rider  should  lean  back,  so  that  he  may  pre- 
serve his  center  of  gravity,  and  by  bringing  his  buttocks- 
well  in  under  him,  receive  the  shock  in  the  strongest  pos- 
sible seat.  As  the  hind-legs  of  the  horse  reach  the 
ground,  the  rider  will  resume  his  erect  position.  Any 
bearing  upon  the  stirrups  will  disturb  the  seat,  and  may 
cause  the  rider  to  fall.  There  must  be  no  attempt  on 
the  part  of  the  rider  to  lift  the  horse,  and  when  the 
hand  has  played  its  part  of  conveying  back  the  forces  of 


66  RIDIJSTG   AND   TRAIHIKG   SADDLE-HORSES. 

the  fore- quarters,  it  must  ease  the  tension  of  the  reins 
until  the  fore-feet  of  the  horse  touch  the  ground,  when 
he  will  feel  the  mouth  to  give  the  horse  such  support  as 
he  may  need  to  recover  the  equilibrium. 

In  taking  the  flying  leap,  the  seat  will  be  nearly  the 
same  as  that  for  the  gallop  ;  the  rider  will  not  lean  for- 
ward as  in  the  standing  leap,  for  the  action  of  the  horse 
will  not  require  it,  and  if  he  swerves  or  refuses,  the  rider 
should  be  sitting  well  back  to  avoid  a  fall.  As  the  horse 
makes  the  exertion  for  the  jump,  the  rider  will  bring  his 
breech  well  under,  lean  back  as  far  as  the  effort  the  horse 
is  about  to  make  shall  demand,  and  resume  the  position 
for  the  gallop  when  the  horse  alights,  at  the  same  mo- 
ment collecting  him  for  the  same  speed  with  which  he 
approached  the  leap,  but  taking  care  not  to  check  him 
or  harass  his  movements. 

When  the  horse  takes  the  flying  leap,  he  must  have 
the  fullest  liberty  of  his  head  ;  the  bit  being  used  only  to 
direct  him  to  the  obstacle,  and  its  tension  released  before 
the  horse  rises  in  the  leap.  The  legs  will  be  carried  in 
close  to  the  sides  of  the  horse  to  support  him,  but  be 
neither  spurred  nor  whipped  at  the  jump,  as  it  distracts 
his  attention  at  a  critical  moment.  If  he  requires  it,  the 
horse  should  be  roused  before  he  comes  upon  the  ground 
where  he  is  to  decide  upon  his  place  for  taking  ofl,  and 
from  that  time  he  should  be  left  to  himself  until  he  re- 
ceives the  support  of  the  bridle  as  his  fore-feet  touch 
the  ground.  The  trick  of  throwing  up  one  arm,  or  of 
giving  a  cry  of  encouragement  to  the  horse  as  he  rises, 
may  work  mischief  by  causing  him  to  swerve,  but  it  is 
then  too  late  to  ofler  him  aid  in  gathering  for  the  leap. 


THE  WALK,    TROT,    GALLOP,    ETC. 


67 


The  horse  should  not  be  ridden  to  a  high  leap  at  a  speed 
that  extends  him  too  much.  He  should  not  be  so  flur- 
ried as  he  approaches  a  wide  leap  that  he  can  not  use  his 
instincts  for  safety.  If  a  horse  jumps  in  a  slovenly  man- 
ner, he  should  be  remanded  to  the  school. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

VICES,    TRICKS,    AND    FAULTS. 

The  severity  with  which  a  horse  has  been  punished  for 
a  fault  is,  usually,  the  measure  of  the  violence  with  which 
he  will  repeat  it.  It  is  this  violence  that  makes  the  horse 
so  dangerous  in  his  rebellion,  for  until  he  loses  his  reason 
he  will  take  care  not  to  injure  himself,  and  so  in  a  mea- 
sure protects  his  rider.  Few  young  horses  are  dangerous 
in  their  resistances  until  they  have  met  with  cruel  treat- 
ment. It  is  seldom  that  a  colt  in  breaking  will  bolt  with 
his  rider  ;  it  is  usually  the  old  offender  who  is  guilty  of 
this  most  dangerous  of  vices.  Although  nearly  every 
young  horse  will  rear  at  the  pressure  of  the  bit,  he  will 
seldom  rise  to  a  dangerous  hight,  and  he  soon  ceases  to 
offend  in  that  way.  A  horse  must  be  corrected  and  put 
right,  but  it  is  never  necessary  to  resort  to  severe  punish- 
ments. Fortunately  the  horse  is  an  animal  of  one  idea, 
and  when  he  has  determined  upon  his  line  of  opposition 
he  is  easily  circumvented  and  humbled.  If  he  refuses  to 
turn  to  the  right  he  will  be  so  intent  upon  opposing  the 
right  rein  that  he  may  be  turned  around  to  the  left  until 
he  is  confused,  when  he  will  very  gladly  go  in  any  direc- 
tion. If  he  declines  to  go  forward  he  is  not  prepared  to 
resist  a  demand  for  a  backward  movement,  and  he  will 
soon  tire  of  that  unusual  mode  and  start  forward  at  the 
first  hint  from  his  rider.  But  a  horse  properly  broken 
(68) 


VICES,   TRICKS,    AlfD   FAULTS.  69 

and  trained  will  not  be  guilty  of  such  contumacy,  and 
will  not  be  apt  to  show  the  vices  of  which  we  are  about 
to  speak,  but  for  which  the  rider  must  be  prepared. 

If  a  horse  bolts,  the  rider  should  not  fatigue  himself  by 
taking  a  steady  drag  upon  the  mouth.  Leaning  back, 
with  the  breech  well  under  him,  and  bearing  no  weight 
in  the  stirrups,  the  rider  should  take  a  succession  of  pulls 
upon  the  bit,  one  following  the  other  sufficiently  near  to 
obtain  cumulative  effect.  When  the  horse  appears  to 
yield  to  the  bit,  advantage  should  be  taken  of  the 
moment,  to  prevent  his  again  extending  himself,  by  in- 
creased exertions  upon  the  part  of  the  rider,  whose 
power  should  be  reserved  as  far  as  possible  to  seize  this 
opportunity.  We  know  of  no  way  to  prevent  a  horse 
bolting  ;  by  keeping  his  head  up  with  the  snaffle-rein  the 
rider  will  have  greater  command  of  the  horse,  but  "the 
use  of  severe  bits  will  not  deter  a  confirmed  bolter  from 
indulging  his  vicious  propensity. 

If  a  horse  rears  the  reins  should  be  loosened,  and  if  the 
rider  require  support  he  should  seize  the  mane,  without, 
however,  letting  the  reins  drop  from  his  hands.  The 
spurs  should  not  be  applied  while  the  horse  is  rising,  but 
as  he  comes  down  the  legs  of  the  rider  should  be  closed 
to  induce  the  horse  to  go  forward.  If  the  horse  refuses 
to  go  forward,  the  rider  will  find  the  side  of  the  mouth 
with  which  the  horse  is  not  prepared  to  resist,  by  draw- 
mg  the  rems  from  right  to  left,  and  holding  the  rein  of 
that  side  low  he  will  pull  the  horse  around,  aiding  the 
hand  by  the  application  of  the  spur  on  that  side.  If, 
when  the  horse  rears,  he  sinks  upon  his  hind-quarters, 
the  rider  should  endeavour  to  leave  the  horse  by  seizing 


70  KIDIKQ   AN"D  TRAINIKG   SADDLE-HORSES. 

the  mane  and  throwing  himself  aside,  and.  although  he 
may  not  be  able  to  clear  himself  of  the  horse,  he  will  at 
least  avoid  coming  down  under  the  saddle. 

If  a  horse  is  shy  at  passing  an  object,  he  can  generally 
be  made  to  proceed  by  turning  his  head  away,  and  pass- 
ing him  along  with  the  leg  opposite  to  the  object,  as  in 
traversing.  If  he  is  a  young  horse,  and  does  not  seem  to 
haye  known  fear,  he  will  usually  face  that  which  has 
caused  his  alarm  if  he  is  allowed  to  take  as  much  room 
as  the  way  offers.  The  rider  should  avoid,  as  much  as 
possible,  taking  notice  of  the  horse's  fright,  as  any  ner- 
vousness on  the  part  of  the  rider  will  confirm  the  horse 
in  the  opinion  that  there  is  danger.  If  a  horse  takes 
alarm  on  the  road  at  things  with  which  he  is  familiar,  it 
is  either  through  defective  eye-sight,  or  because  he  has 
found  out  that  he  can  take  liberties  with  his  rider.  A 
man  of  discretion  will  know  when  a  horse  should  be 
whipped  up  to  an  object  of  which  there  is  a  pretence  of 
fear,  but  the  horse  must  never  be  struck  after  he  has 
passed  on. 

We  do  not  like  a  horse  that  has  low  action,  for  he  must 
trip,  and  he  is  likely,  sooner  or  later,  to  come  down.  A 
horse  stumbles  when,  through  weakness,  weariness,  or 
stiffness  from  age  and  work,  he  is  not  able  to  recover 
himself  from  a  trip.  He  usually  bears  the  evidence  of 
his  accident  on  his  knees. 

A  horse  that  stumbles  from  weakness  is  not  fit  for 
saddle  use.  If  the  rider  is  unfortunate  enough  to  find 
himself  mounted  upon  a  horse  that  gives  indications  of 
bemg  insecure  upon  his  feet,  he  should  demand  free  and 
lively  action,  with  rein  and  legs.     The  horse  should  not 


VICES,    TRICKS,    AKD   FAULTS.  71 

be  allowed  to  become  indolent,  nor  be  permitted  to  bang 
upon  the  bit.  On  descending  a  hill  the  horse  must  have 
liberty  of  action,  for  if  he  steps  too  short  he  is  liable  to 
come  down ;  and  a  horse  that  is  checked  has  not  enough 
freedom  for  his  safety.  It  is  after  a  long  day's  work  that 
a  weary  horse  may  for  the  first  time  stumble,  and  it  is  a 
mistaken  idea  of  kindness  that  induces  the  rider  to  let  a 
horse  take  his  head  upon  such  an  occasion.  The  horse 
misses  the  encouragement  of  the  rein  and  the  support  of 
the  leg,  and  is  invited  to  fall.  Besides  it  is  much  more 
fatiguing  for  him  to  bear  his  burden,  deprived  of  the 
usual  aids,  and  in  drooping  spirits.  Finally,  in  case  of 
a  fall,  either  of  a  stumbling  horse,  or  under  any  other 
circumstances,  the  rider  should  hold  on  to  the  rem  until 
he  is  assured  that  his  feet  are  free  of  the  stirrups. 


CHxiPTER    IX. 
EARLY   EDUCATION   OF   THE   HORSE. 

In  order  that  he  may  never  chafe  against  restraint,  the 
horse  should  never  know  perfect  freedom.  From  the  hour 
he  is  foaled  he  should  be  accustomed  to  the  sight  of  man, 
and  belief  in  man's  power  should  increase  with  his  know- 
ledge. He  must  be  treated  with  kindness  ;  but  indul- 
gence will  spoil  his  temper,  and  he  acquires  a  contempt 
for  the  authority  that  is  tardily  enforced. 

At  SIX  months  of  age  the  colt  should  be  broken  to  fol- 
low with  the  halter,  and  be  made  to  submit  at  any  time 
when  his  resistance  cannot  have  such  success  as  to  en- 
courage him  in  rebellion.  At  two  years  of  age  he  should 
be  made  to  bear  the  saddle  without  repugnance,  and  to 
know  the  effects  of  the  bit.  If  he  is  intended  for  riding 
purposes  he  should  never  be  put  in  a  bitting-machine,  as 
all  contrivances  of  that  kind  teach  him  to  bear  upon  the 
hand,  a  habit  that  is  incompatible  with  perfect  manners. 
But,  from  the  time  he  is  two  years  old,  he  should  be 
lunged,  at  intervals  that  will  insure  his  retaining  that 
which  is  taught  him,  with  the  cavesson,  or  nose-band, 
used  for  breaking-in  horses. 

By  the  time  he  is  ready  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  rider 

he   should  be   perfectly  familiar   with   the   stable,  and 

should  submit  to  all  the  manipnlations  of  the  groom. 

At  three  years  of  age,  if  he  be  a  well-developed  colt,  he 

(73) 


EARLY   EDUCATION   OF  THE   HOKSE.  73 

may  be  mounted  by  some  one  whom  he  well  knows,  and 
induced  to  go  forward  a  few  steps.  In  all  of  his  previous 
education,  and  particularly  at  this  juncture,  he  should 
be  treated  with  firmness  but  great  gentleness,  and  he 
should  be  encouraged  by  hand  and  voice  whenever  his 
conduct  deserves  approval. 

If  he  has  been  treated  as  thus  far  advised,  he  will  not 
be  likely  to  show  any  restiveness  on  the  occasion  of  his 
being  mounted  for  the  first  time,  and  the  trainer  will, 
perhaps,  never  experi'ence  any  trouble  with  him.  It  is 
not  improbable  that  upon  the  third  or  fourth  day  that  he 
is  mounted  he  will,  on  being  taken  beyond  his  usual 
limits,  show  some  disinclination  to  yield  to  the  will  of 
the  rider,  and  refuse  to  go  in  a  direction  for  which  he  has 
some  dislike.  No  violence  should  be  resorted  to  in  such 
a  case,  but  if  he  will  not  answer  the  bit  and  the  pressure 
of  the  legs,  he  may  be  led  by  some  one  Avho  should  be  at 
hand  in  these  early  lessons  to  assist  the  trainer. 

The  snaffle,  alone,  should  be  used  at  first,  and  the  rider 
should  hold  his  hand  high  or  low,  as  the  horse  bears  down 
or  raises  his  head.  He  should  be  ridden  in  this  bit  until 
he  readily  answers  to  it,  and  the  rider  should  teach  him, 
as  early  as  possible,  to  go  foward  at  the  pressure  of  the 
legs.  No  whip  should  be  carried  in  the  early  mounted 
lessons,  and  in  the  lunging  on  the  cavesson  the  whip 
should  never  be  used  to  cause  pain. 

If  the  colt  is  naturally  heavy  in  the  shoulders  he  should 
be  made  to  carry  himself  light  by  short  pulls  upon  the 
snaffle,  from  below  ujd wards.  The  active  resistance  of 
the  mouth  should  be  overcome  by  gentle  vibrations  of  the 
bit. 
4 


74  RIDIKG   AND   TEAIXIXG    SADDLE-HORSES. 

When  he  will  go  quietly  in  the  snaffle,  and  has  been 
made  familiar  with  the  usual  sights  and  sounds  of  the 
road,  he  may  be  put  into  the  double-reined  bridle.  The 
snaffle  will  be  used  to  regulate  the  hight  of  the  head,  and 
to  begin  the  changes  of  direction  :  the  bit  will  be  used  to 
teach  the  horse  to  give  the  jaw  and  to  bring  in  the  head, 
as  before  described. 

These  bittings  are  never  to  be  abandoned,  and  they 
must  be  daily  practised,  so  that  the  horse  will  yield  to 
the  first  demand  of  the  bit. 

When  the  horse  is  obedient  to  the  bit  he  should  be 
made  to  collect  his  forces  in  equilibrium,  and  he  is 
then  prepared  for  schooling  in  those  higher  branches  of 
his  education  that  are  to  make  him,  what  is  so  highly  to 
be  desired,  a  trained  horse. 

By  firmness  and  gentleness  the  horse  can,  by  means  of 
the  system  already  explained,  be  readily  made  quiet  to 
ride.  If  he  becomes  shy  it  will  be  because  his  vision  is 
defective.  A  young  horse,  properly  treated,  will  acquire 
so  much  confidence  in  his  master  that  he  will  face  objects 
about  which  he  has  grave  suspicious.  Each  time  that  he 
finds  his  terror  groundless,  his  fear  of  strange  objects 
will  be  lessened,  and  some  horses,  trained  in  this  way, 
will  shy  at  nothing  when  under  the  saddle. 

Pirouettes. — The  precision  with  which  the  pirouettes 
are  made,  will  determine  the  grace  and  facility  with  which 
the  horse  will  execute  all  movements. 

Pirouettes  on"  the  Forehaistd. — The  horse,  saddled 
and  bridled,  will  be  taken  to  some  retired  spot.  The 
riding-school  is,  of  course,  the  best  place  for  these  lessons. 


EARLY   EDUCATION   OF  THE   HORSE.  75 

but  any  smooth  ground  will  answer,  where  there  is 
nothing  to  distract  his  attention. 

It  is  intended  that  the  horse  shall  carry  his  croup 
around  his  forehand,  the  outside  fore-leg  acting  as  the 
pivot  in  the  movement.  The  trainer  will  stand  at  the 
shoulder  of  the  horse,  and,  if  the  first  movement  is  to 
be  made  to  the  right,  on  the  near  side  of  the  horse. 

With  his  left  hand  he  will  take  both  reins  of  the  curb 
at  about  four  inches  from  the  branch  of  the  bit.  He  will 
then  induce  the  horse  to  give  his  jaw,  and  to  bring  his 
head  into  a  perpendicular  position,  by  drawing  the  reins 
in  gentle  vibrations  towards  the  chest  of  the  horse,  yield- 
ing the  hand  whenever  the  horse  answers  to  the  pressure, 
and  repeating  the  operation  whenever  the  horse  shows  a 
disposition  to  go  out  of  hand.  With  the  whip  he  will 
then  tap  the  horse  on  the  rump  until  the  hind  legs  are 
brought  well  under  the  body.  The  horse  will  then  be  in 
a  position  to  make  a  move  in  any  direction  without  any 
further  preparation. 

The  horse  being  thus  collected,  the  trainer  will  give 
gentle  taps  of  the  whip  upon  his  near  flank,  until  the 
animal  moves  one  step  to  the  right,  the  forehand  being 
held  stationary  by  the  bit  in  the  left  hand,  and  resistance 
of  that  part  overcome  by  feeling  the  right  side  of  the 
mouth.  As  soon  as  this  one  step  to  the  right,  by  the 
hind-quarters,  is  taken,  the  taps  of  the  whip  must  cease, 
and  the  horse  should  be  encouraged,  so  that  he  may 
know  that  his  effort  has  met  with  approval. 

This  change  of  position  will  throw  him  out  of  line,  his 
off  fore-leg  being  far  in  the  rear.  By  a  tap  of  the  whip 
upon  the  off  fore-arm  he  will  be  brought  straight,  and 


76  KIDIKG   AXD   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

•the  trainer  should  again  show  his  satisfaction  by  a  kind 
word  or  a  touch  of  the  hand.  Let  these  proceedings  ho 
continued  until  the  horse  steps  off  promptly  :  but  he 
should  not,  at  first,  take  more  than  one  step  at  a  time, 
and  must  never  be  permitted  to  volunteer  a  movement. 
After  each  change  of  position  he  is  to  be  put  straight, 
and  he  will  be  kept  collected  by  the  hand  and  whip. 

The  same  means,  right  and  left  being  interchanged, 
will  teach  him  to  pass  in  the  opposite  direction. 

These  lessons  should  be  repeated  at  intervals,  so  that 
fchey  are  not  rendered  irksome  or  fatiguing  to  the  horse, 
until  he  will  complete  his  circles,  either  way,  without 
taking  up  the  pivot,  or  outside  foot. 

These  pirouettes  will  now  be  made  with  the  rider  in  the 
saddle  ;  and  if  the  work  on  foot  has  been  faithfully  per- 
formed the  horse  will  be  well  advanced  in  his  education. 

Bringing  the  horse  into  equilibrium,  the  rider  will 
play  with  the  right  rein  of  the  curb  to  destroy  the  resist- 
ances of  the  shoulder,  and  with  his  left  leg  will  make  the 
horse  carry  the  croup  one  step  to  the  right.  The  right 
leg  of  the  rider  will  be  held  close  to  the  side  of  the  horse, 
to  limit  the  movement  to  one  step,  to  prevent  him  mov- 
ing backward,  and  to  assist  the  off  fore-leg  in  taking  its 
place  in  the  new  position.  Taking  one  step  at  a  time, 
the  horse  will  complete  the  movement  about  the  near  or 
outside  fore-leg,  which  has  been  the  pivot. 

By  inverse  means,  and  observing  the  same  care,  the  re- 
versed pirouette  will  be  made  to  the  left. 

When  the  horse  will  make  the  circle  by  the  one  step 
and  the  stop,  with  ease  and  without  assistance,  he  will  be 
made  to  complete  the  pirouettes  without  the  stop,  step  by 


EARLY  EDUCATION  OF  THE  HOESE.        77 

step  ;  his  head  carried  in  on  the  side  of  the  approaching 
croup.  That  is,  if  the  croup  is  passing  to  the  right  the 
head  will  be  carried  to  the  right,  to  give  an  easy  and 
graceful  carriage  to  the  horse  in  the  movement. 

Pirouettes  on  the  Croup. — In  these  movements  the 
forehand  will  go  about  the  croup,  the  inner  hind-leg 
being  the  pivot.  To  show  the  horse  what  is  expected  of 
him,  a  few  lessons  should  be  given  on  foot,  in  the  follow- 
ing manner  : — The  trainer  will  stand  in  front  of  the 
horse,  and,  taking  a  snaffle-rein  in  each  hand,  in  order  to 
direct  the  forehand  and  to  iSx  the  croup,  he  will  lead  the 
horse  about,  a  step  at  a  time,  taking  pains  to  keep  the 
pivot-leg  as  stationary  as  is  possible  under  such  circum- 
stances. 

He  will  then  mount  the  horse  and  put  him  in  equilib- 
rium. With  a  snaffle-rein  in  each  hand  he  will,  if  pirou- 
etting to  the  left,  draw  the  horse  to  the  left  with  the  rein 
of  that  side,  fixing  the  croup  with  the  snaffle  in  the  right 
hand.  The  right  leg  will  be  kept  close  to  the  side  of  the 
horse  to  prevent  the  croup  coming  against  it,  and  to  keep 
that  side  of  the  horse  up  in  its  place  in  the  movement  if 
required.  The  forehand  will  be  brought  about  in  this 
way  until  the  horse's  position  is  reversed,  and  he  stands 
facing  the  direction  opposite  to  that  from  which  he  started. 
Then  he  will  be  put  in  line,  the  right  leg  of  the  rider 
being  used  to  bring  up  the  right  side  of  the  horse.  By 
the  assistance  of  the  aids,  right  and  left  being  exchanged, 
the  horse  will  be  practised  in  the  movement  to  the  right. 
In  the  same  way  the  horse  will  then  be  made  to  complete 
the  circle,  pivoting  on  the  croup,  to  the  right  and  to  the 
left,  the  outside  leg  being  brought  up  as  the  balance  re- 


78  RIDING  AND   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

quires  its  support.  After  the  horse  will  perform  these 
pirouettes  on  the  snaffle-bit,  the  curb  will  be  used  at  the 
finish  of  the  movement,  and  then  the  curb-bit,  the  reins 
carried  in  the  hand  to  which  the  horse  turns,  will  be  used. 
Finally  the  horse  will  be  made  to  do  the  pirouettes  to 
either  side,  Y,^ith  the  curb-reins  carried  in  the  left  hand. 
To  make  the  pirouettes  on  the  haunches  neatly  and 
quickly,  the  forces  of  the  forehand  will  be  well  carried 
back,  so  that  the  horse  will  rise  off  the  ground  in  mak- 
ing the  face  about.  The  hind-leg  on  the  inside  is  to  be 
the  pivot,  and  the  other  hind-leg  will  be  brought  up  dur- 
ing the  movement  to  give  it  the  finish. 

After  the  horse  has  been  taught  to  traverse,  and  to  make 
the  changes  m  the  gallop  for  which  these  lessons  have 
prepared  him,  he  will  be  ready  to  make  the  pirouettes 
upon  the  croup  in  action.  To  this  end  he  will  be  ridden  in 
circles,  then  in  voltes  or  circles  in  which  the  croup  fol- 
lows an  inner  path  and  the  forehand  an  outer  path  :  the 
pirouette  results  when  the  horse  will  make  the  volte  with- 
out moving  his  hind-legs  away  from  the  pivoting  ground. 

Traversing. — If  the  reader  has  mastered  all  that  has 
appeared  in  these  pages  to  this  point,  he  should  be  able 
to  make  his  horse  perform  everything  that  is  possible  to 
the  animal.  It  only  remains  for  us  to  point  out  the 
best  manner  for  obtaining  the  best  effects  in  the  more 
important  movements. 

In  traversing  or  passing  sideways  to  the  right  and  to 
the  left,  the  horse  should  be  placed  at  such  an  angle, 
with  the  line  upon  which  the  movement  is  directed,  the 
shoulders  in  advance  of  the  croup,  that  his  legs  may  move 
freely  and  his  carriage  be  light  and  unconfined.    Suppose 


EAKLY   EDUCATION^   OF   THE   HORSE.  79 

the  horse  is  standing  peri3endicularly  to  the  line  of  the 
moYement,  and  it  is  intended  to  traverse  to  the  right,  the 
rider  will  make  the  croup  pass  one  step  to  the  left,  which 
will  bring  him  into  proper  position  for  traversing  in  the 
opposite  direction.  The  resistance  of  the  shoulders  will 
be  overcome  by  the  right  rein,  and  the  left  leg  will  cause 
the  horse  to  step  off  to  the  right,  the  two  aids  demand- 
ing the  position  and  the  movement,  the  right  leg  being 
ready  to  assist  in  keeping  the  horse  up  in  his  place,  and 
to  prevent  the  croup  coming  too  far  to  that  side.  He 
must  be  kept  in  equilibrium  and  at  the  proper  angle  to 
the  line  of  march,  or  the  movement  will  be  awkward  and 
uneven.  He  will  be  made  to  traverse,  at  a  speed  not 
faster  than  a  walk,  in  direct  lines  and  in  circles,  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left,  taking  care  that  in  the  circles  the 
body  of  the  horse  keeps  the  proper  angle  at  every  point 
in  the  circumferences. 

He  may  then  be  brought  to  perform  the  traverse  at 
the  passage,  which  is  the  high  step  that  is  produced  by 
restraining  the  advance  of  the  horse,  and  at  the  same 
time  demanding  from  him  increased  action  and  exertion. 
The  horse  being  at  the  trot  in  a  direct  line,  the  rider 
will  induce  the  action  of  the  passage  by  the  pressure  of 
the  legs,  alternately  as  the  horse  raises  the  opposite  fore- 
leg, and  by  restraining  with  the  hand  any  increase  of 
speed ;  then  with  the  direct  rein  and  opposite  leg  the 
horse  will  be  made  to  traverse,  the  high  step  of  the  pas- 
sage being  retained  in  the  movement  by  accentuating  the 
pressure  of  the  opposite  spur  as  the  horse  raises  the  fore- 
leg on  the  side  to  which  he  is  passing.  The  heel  of  the 
rider  on  the  side  to  which  the  movement  tends  will  be 


80  RIDIITG   A^B  TRAII^ING  SADDLE-HORSES. 

used  to  keep  the  horse  up  to  the  line,  and  to  prevent  the 
croup  going  over  too  far.  The  result  should  be  a  regu- 
larly cadenced  action,  in  which  the  horse  dwells  at  each 
step,  the  effect  of  the  increased  pressure  of  the  rider's 
leg  being  to  keep  the  legs  of  the  horse  suspended  for  the 
moment.  But  the  croup  must  not  be  driven  over  too 
far,  and  the  equilibrium  must  be  observed.  In  traversing 
at  the  passage  the  weight  of  the  horse  is,  at  each  cadence, 
sustained  upon  two  legs  diagonally  opposed,  while  the 
other  two  are  carried  beyond  them  in  the  direction  of 
the  movement — the  shoulders  slightly  in  advance  upon 
one  path,  the  croup  in  simultaneous  actions  following 
another  parallel  path.  At  each  step  the  horse  leaves  the 
gi'ound,  and  is  for  the  moment  in  the  air. 

The  traverse  in  the  gallop  may  be  obtained  by  similar 
means.  The  horse  being  put  into  the  gallop  on  the 
.direct  line,  and  leading  with  the  legs  of  the  side  on 
which  the  movement  will  be  made.  As  the  horse  comes 
upon  the  ground  where  the  traversing  is  to  begin,  he 
will  be  permitted  to  make  one  false  step  with  the  croup 
as  he  takes  the  position  for  the  traverse,  to  be  corrected 
at  the  second  step  in  the  movement.  In  the  same  way, 
when  he  is  put  into  the  direct  line,  he  will  be  permitted 
to  make  one  false  step  with  the  croup  to  preserve  his 
balance,  to  be  brought  into  the  true  gallop  at  the  second 
step  upon  the  new  line. 

Chais'ges  in  the  Gallop. — It  is  agreed  on  all  sides 
that  the  changes  in  the  gallop  are  not  only  the  most 
striking  and  important  of  all  the  movements,  but  that  in 
them  is  also  found  the  highest  test  of  the  skill  of  the 
rider.     But  hardly  any  two  authorities  have  agreed  upon 


EARLY  EDUCATION  OF  THE  HOESE.  8l 

the  method  by  which  this  is  to  be  taught,  and  few  can 
be  found  who  hold  the  same  opinion  as  to  the  best  man- 
ner of  making  the  trained  horse  change  in  the  gallop. 
We  have  never  had  any  faith  in  the  method  as  usually 
accepted,  even  by  the  highest  authority,  of  teaching  the 
horse  to  gallop  by  a  false  method,  to  afterwards  substi- 
tute a  better  one  in  demanding  his  performance  of 
that  pace. 

If  the  forehand  of  the  horse  is  lightened  by  bringing 
back  its  forces,  that  side  will  be  the  lighter  from  which 
we  demand  the  most ;  and  to  make  the  horse  lead  with 
the  one  side  or  the  other  is  simply  to  make  the  hand  act 
more  upon  the  side  from  which  we  desire  the  highest 
action.  If,  then,  we  wish  to  gallop  with  the  right  side 
of  the  horse  giving  the  extended  strides,  we  should  make 
play  with  the  bit  upon  that  side  of  his  forehand,  and 
bring  his  croup  around  with  the  pressure  of  the  left 
leg.  The  horse  will  then  lead  off  as  desired,  with  his 
head  in  the  proper  position,  and  there  will  be  nothing  to 
correct. 

Although  the  direct  rein  has  been,  before  this  time, 
used  to  teach  the  gallop,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  pulling 
the  shoulders  in  so  that  the  horse,  his  croup  being 
brought  around  by  the  opposite  spur,  will  not  be  able  to 
take  the  extended  step  with  the  outside  leg.  Although 
this  accomplishes  the  object,  it  gives  cramped  and  un- 
graceful action.  We  believe  that  the  theory  advanced 
gives  the  best  results,  for  it  is  the  method  that  Baucher 
and  other  great  authorities  use  after  the  horse  has  been 
taught  by  some  ruder  means. 

To  make  a  horse  lead  with  a  certain  side,  theref  ore^  the 


82  RIDIXG   A>'D   TRAINING   SADDLE-HORSES. 

direct  rein  "will  make  play,  supported  by  the  oppos- 
ing leg. 

At  first  the  horse  Trill  b3  made  to  gallop  in  the  line, 
then  in  circles,  gradually  diminishing  in  diameter, 
always  leading:  with  the  lesr  of  the  side  to  which  he  is 
going.  When  the  horse  will  answer  to  the  aids,  and  will 
lead  with  either  leg,  as  may  be  required,  without  hesita- 
tion or  blundering,  the  rider  will  turn  him  from  a  circle 
to  the  right  or  the  left,  to  one  on  the  other  hand,  apply- 
ing, quickly  but  without  yiolence,  the  hand  as  the  fore- 
feet finish  the  first  part,  the  leg  as  the  hind-feet  finish 
the  last  part  of  the  gallop  in  the  old  direction. 

"When  this  has  been  accomplished,  without  destroying 
or  interfering  with  the  cadences  of  the  gait,  it  will  be  a 
mere  matter  of  practice  to  make  the  changes  at  any 
finished  step  in  the  direct  line. 

To  Stop  ix  the  Gallop. — While  it  is  only  in  the 
gallop  in  equilibrium  that  the  horse  can  be  brought  to  a 
finished  halt,  yet  the  same  means,  in  a  form  modified  by 
the  rider's  appreciation  of  the  circumstances,  may  be 
effectually  used  to  make  the  horse  draw  up  in  the  ex- 
tended gallop. 

The  horse  being  in  the  best  approximate  equilibritim, 
the  rider  will  bring  him  to  a  stop  by  leaning  back  and 
pressing  in  his  legs  as  the  hind-legs  of  the  horse  begin 
one  cadence  of  the  gait,  and  raise  the  hand,  and  bear 
upon  the  bit  as  the  fore-legs  begin  the  next  cadence. 
The  result  will  be  that  the  horse  Avill  stop  without 
another  cadence,  for  the  heels  bring  in  and  the  weight  of 
the  body  fixes  the  hind-legs,  and  the  hand  restrains  and 
brings  back  the  forces  of  the  forehand,  and  prevents  the 


EAELY  EDUCATIOK   OF  THE  HOESE.  83 

mass  advancing.  These  applications  of  the  aids  must  be 
made  "\nth  celerity  and  precision,  but  Tvithout  yiolence. 

To  Back. — In  backing  the  horse,  the  offices  of  the 
forehand  and  croup  are  interchanged ;  for  now  the  im- 
pulsion comes  from  the  forehand,  and  the  heels  restrain 
and  direct  the  forces  of  the  croup  upon  the  course. 

Standing  at  the  head  of  the  horse,  the  trainer  will 
bring  him  into  equilibrium,  taking  care  that  the  shoul- 
ders and  croup  are  in  a  line.  Then,  with  a  tap  of  the 
whip  upon  the  croup,  he  will  induce  the  beginning  of  a 
forward  movement  from  that  part  by  the  raising  of  one 
of  the  hind-legs,  but  before  the  mass  acquires  the  for- 
ward motion  the  horse  will  be  made  to  carry  the  raised 
hind-leg  one  step  in  rear,  bv  a  pressure  upon  the  bit.  He 
will  then  be  collected,  and  made  to  take  one  other  step 
backwards  in  the  same  manner.  The  next  day  he  may  be 
made  to  take  two  consecutive  steps  ;  and  he  will  be 
taught  carefully  and  without  haste,  until  he  will  move 
back  several  steps  and  still  retain  his  lightness. 

The  rider  will  then  mount  the  horse,  and,  having 
brought  him  into  equilibrium,  will,  by  a  pressure  of  the 
legs,  induce  the  raising  of  one  of  the  hind-legs,  which 
will  be  carried  back  one  step  by  a  pressure  of  the  bit. 
The  whole  art  of  teaching  the  horse  to  back  lies  in  these 
instructions ;  but  the  rider  must  proceed  cautiously,  so 
that  the  horse  will  acquire  the  movement  in  an  easy  and 
light  manner.  Let  him  be  satisfied  with  a  few  steps  well 
done  each  day,  until  the  horse  acquires  perfection  in  the 
movement.  The  legs  will  always  be  carried  close  to  the 
sides  of  the  horse  to  keep  him  straight,  and  to  prevent 
the  forces  from  yielding  too  much  ;  the  hand  must  infln- 


84 


RIDING   AN^D  TRAINII^G   SADDLE-HORSES. 


ence  the  forces  of  the  forehand  only  enough  to  produce 
the  backward  motion,  without  bringing  them  back  so  far 
as  to  destroy  the  equilibrium.  When  the  rider  wishes  to 
stop  the  horse  backing,  he  will  increase  the  pressure  of 
the  legs  and  yield  the  hand  in  some  cadence  of  the 
movement,  and  will  start  the  horse  forward  in  the  walk 
without  coming  to  a  marked  halt. 

The  horse  may  be  made  to  go  backwards  with  the 
actions  of  the  trot  or  the  gallop,  by  the  same  means  that 
are  used  to  make  him  back  in  the  motions  of  the  walk. 


CHAPTER    X. 
FEENCH  METHOD  OF  TRAINING. 

There  is  a  method  of  training,  invented  by  a  French 
rider,  Baucher,  and  named  after  him,  which  is  an  effec- 
tive means  for  making  both  horse  and  rider  perfect  in 
their  "work.  Its  details  are  too  minute  for  repetition 
here,  but  they  are  well  set  forth  in  "  Herbert's  Hints  to 
Horse-keepers,"  and  will  well  reward  the  attention  of 
those  who  have  the  time  and  the  enthusiasm  to  follow 
them  out.  By  their  aid,  an  unbroken  horse,  if  a  good 
subject,  can  be  made  a  very  nearly  perfect  saddle  beast  in 
two  months'  time,  having  a  lesson  of  thirty  minutes  or 
less,  morning  and  night. 

Its  general  principles  are  :  To  teach  the  horse  but  one 
thing  at  a  time  ;  to  teach  that  thoroughly  before  pro- 
ceedmg  with  the  next  step  ;  to  make  the  lessons  so  short 
as  not  to  disgust  the  pupil ;  to  reward  obedience  more 
especially  than  to  punish  disobedience,  or  rather  non- 
obedience  ;  to  make  the  horse  thoroughly  supple  in  every 
muscle  of  his  body,  and  to  teach  him  to  move  all  his 
members  as  easily,  under  the  rider's  weight,  and  under 
the  restraint  of  his  hands  and  legs,  as  he  would  do  if 
playing  in  a  pasture  ;  and  to  practice  him  in  handling 
the  rider's  weight,  and  in  obeying  the  rider's  impulses 
and  restrictions,  so  that  all  his  movements  shall  be  made 
m  accordance  with  the  rider's  will  rather  than  his  own, 
(85) 


86         KiDiiq^a  akd  training  saddle-hokses. 

so  that  lie  shall,  in  fact,  make  no  account  at  all  of  his 
own  will,  but  execute  that  of  the  man  instead. 

'We  are  aware  that  this  sounds  like  an  impossibility, 
but  any  one  who  will  faithfully  study  and  practice  Bau- 
cher's  system,  will  soon  see  that  any  horse  of  tolerable 
form  and  strength,  and  of  average  courage  and  temper, 
may  be  brought  to  this  state  of  discipline  without  diffi- 
culty. 

The  peculiarities  of  the  method  are  thus  set  forth  by 
Mr.  Phillipps  :  *'It  begins  by  enabling  the  horseman  to 
take  complete  possession  of  the  horse's  faculties  while  at 
rest  and  in  slow  motion.  This  ascendency,  once  gained, 
need  neyer  be  lost ;  because  a  good  horseman  is  always 
able  to  reduce  his  horse  to  that  state  in  which  it  can  be 
successfully  re-asserted.  The  horse  is,  in  this  manner, 
soon  made  to  perceiye  that  if  he  escapes  from  the  equilib- 
rium required  by  his  rider,  when  at  a  pace  which  gives 
him  the  opportunity  of  doing  so,  he  will  immediately 
find  himself  brought  back  to  a  pace  at  which  he  may  be 
forcibly  prevented  from  doing  so.  When  he  once  under- 
stands this  truth,  his  self-will  is  subdued  forever." 

Baucher  teaches  that  the  horse  does  his  work  easily  to 
himself  and  pleasantly  to  his  rider  only  when  he  moves 
under  the  rider's  weight,  and  in  obedience  to  his  direc- 
tions, with  the  same  ease  and  gi^ace,  the  same  perfect 
equilibrium,  as  when  playing  with  horses  in  an  open  pas- 
ture. A  horse  moving  in  a  state  of  freedom  carries  his 
hind-legs  so  far  under  him  that  they  carry  the  weight  of 
the  hinder  part  of  his  body  in  the  easiest  way,  and  so 
give  the  front-legs  only  their  proper  share  of  work  to  do. 
The  neck  is  left  perfectly  free  to  carry  the  head  in  what- 


FREKCH  METHOD  OF  TRAINING.  87 

ever  position  will  best  assist  in  maintaining  the  balance 
of  the  body.  If  we  take  an  unbroken  horse,  whose 
movements  in  the  pasture  are  all  perfect,  and  put  a  rider 
on  his  back  and  a  bit  in  his  mouth,  he  will  either  per- 
form such  antics  as  will  make  him  anything  but  a  pleas- 
ant saddle-horse,  or,  which  is  most  likely,  he  will  become 
perfectly  rigid  and  awkward,  poking  out  his  nose,  bear- 
ing on  the  bit  with  the  full  force  of  his  neck,  carrying 
too  much  of  the  weight  on  the  fore-quarters,  and  strad- 
dling along  with  his  hind-legs  in  a  very  ungainly  and 
uncomfortable  way.  Especially  in  the  cantor  will  he 
seem  to  plunge  with  his  whole  weight  on  to  his  fore-feet, 
making  his  gait  both  uncomfortable  and  unsafe.  Bau- 
cher's  method  overcomes  these  difficulties,  empowers  the 
rider  to  carry  the  weight  of  both  horse  and  rider  on  the 
fore-feet,  or  on  the  hind-feet,  or  on  all,  at  pleasure,  and 
to  soften  the  rigidity  of  the  neck,  and  cause  the  head  to 
be  carried  in  an  easy  position. 

The  first  step,  after  having  broken  the  horse  to  saddle 
and  bridle,  is  with  the  neck  and  mouth.  Stand  at  his 
left  side,  facing  his  neck,  holding  the  left  rein  of  the 
snaffle  in  your  left  hand.  Take  both  curb-reins  in  your 
right  hand,  a  few  inches  back  of  the  bit,  and  draw  them 
gently  toward  the  horse's  chest,  holding  him  in  place, 
and  keeping  his  head  quiet  with  the  left  hand.  The 
horse  will  at  first  resist  the  pressure  of  the  curb,  and  try 
to  throw  up  his  head,  but  if  you  are  patient  and  firm,  he 
will  presently  bend  his  neck,  draw  in  his  chin,  and 
champ  the  bit ;  then  drop  the  curb-reiiis,  pat  his  neck, 
and  make  much  of  him.  Eepeat  the  lesson  at  short  in- 
tervals, until  at  the  slightest  touch  of  the  curb  he  will 


88  KIDING   AKD  TKAIKING  SADDLE-HOBSES. 

arch  his  neck.  This  lesson  having  been  repeated  nntil  it 
is  perfectly  understood,  renew  it  in  the  saddle,  drawing 
on  the  curb  with  a  steady  pressure,  until  he  drops  his 
head  and  champs  the  bit  as  before.  Eeward  the  first 
sign  of  obedience  by  caresses  and  praise.  Eepeat  the 
moyement,  until  at  the  first  touch  of  the  rein  he  lets  go 
of  the  bit,  arches  his  neck,  and  stands  quietly  and  at 
ease.  Even  if  you  have  to  call  assistance  to  keep  him  in 
place,  do  not  let  him  either  back  or  turn  around  in  order 
to  get  away  from  the  pressure  of  the  bit. 

The  next  step  is  to  obtain  the  same  control  over  the 
hind-quarters  that  you  now  have  over  the  forehand,  and 
you  must  first  teach  him  to  bear  the  spur  without  mov- 
ing. Accustom  him  first  to  the  pressure  of  the  leg  and 
of  the  unarmed  boot-heels,  and  later,  of  spurs,  with  cloth 
or  leather  over  the  rowels  ;  when  he  is  perfectly  indiffer- 
ent to  them,  then  uncover  the  rowels. 

Mr.  Phillipps  says:  ^'  When  he  has  learned  not  to  resist 
the  spurs,  by  kicking,  he  must  next  be  taught  to  spring 
from  them.  Get  him  well  in  hand,  and  touch  him 
lightly,  but  firmly,  on  both  sides.  If  he  kicks  or  winces, 
you  are  getting  on  too  fast,  and  must  return  to  tlie  cov- 
ered rowels,  if  not  to  the  bare  heels.  ...  If  he  tries  to 
move  forward,  carefully  restrain  him  by  the  bridle,  and 
then,  dropping  both  your  legs  and  hands,  caress  him, 
and  let  him  stand  at  ease.  Eepeat  the  lesson  until  the 
slightest  pressure  of  your  legs  is  sufficient  to  make  him 
promptly  collect  himself,  and  bring  his  hmd-legs  under 
his  body."  The  great  point  is  now  secured  ;  the  horse 
has  been  taught  the  position  you  desire  him  to  maintain, 
to  carry  his  weight  well  on  his  haunches,  to  arch  his 


FREKCH    METHOD   OF   TRAIiq"IKG.  89 

neck,  and  to  relax  his  jaw.  Future  instructions  consist 
mainly  in  teaching  him  to  preserve  this  position,  and  to 
avoid  all  rigidity  at  any  speed. 

Although  you  may  have  taught  the  horse  to  stand  per- 
fectly at  his  ease  while  standing  still,  and  to  be  *'  light  in 
hand  and  light  on  his  legs,"  you  will  lind  that  the 
moment  you  attempt  to  move  him  forward  at  a  walk,  he 
will  throw  out  his  nose  at  the  first  step,  and  be  as  un-' 
gainly  as  ever.  Take  hold  of  his  mouth  immediately  and 
endeavor  to  supple  his  neck.  If  he  continue  the  resist- 
ance, halt  him  at  once,  bring  his  head  into  position,  and 
let  him  rest  a  moment  before  advancing  again.  He  will 
soon  learn  to  walk  with  his  mouth  light.  If  he  seems 
to  step  too  short,  as  though  too  much  restrained  by  the 
curved  position,  press  him  lightly  with  the  heels  to  send 
him  forward.  You  will  soon  learn  when  the  free  move- 
ment of  the  horse  indicates  a  just  balance,  or  equilibrium, 
between  the  forehand  and  the  hind-quarters.  It  is  this 
that  you  must  always  study  to  preserve — drawing  back 
the  head  when  there  is  too  much  forward  tendency,  and 
applying  the  legs  when  the  horse  goes,  as  horsemen  say, 
''behind  the  bit,"  that  is,  with  an  uncertain,  short  step. 

The  next  step  is  not  to  trot,  but  to  move  backward  at 
a  walk.  This  you  can  attempt  only  when  the  use  of  the 
curb  causes  the  horse  to  bring  in  his  head  before  it  short- 
ens his  step.  Get  him  well  collected  at  a  halt ;  apply 
the  legs  until  you  feel  a  forward  tendency  of  the  weight, 
showing  that  the  hind-legs  are  free  to  step  ;  then  draw 
backward  on  the  curb  to  such  a  degree  that  the  horse,  to 
preserve  his  balance,  will  step  backward,  that  is,  the 
horse's  weight  being  in  perfect  balance  between  your  legs 


90  BIDING    AXD    TRAINIifG   SADDLE-HORSES. 

and  hand,  so  that  jou  can  send  it  in  either  direction — 
throw  it  backward  by  the  use  of  the  hand,  causing  the 
horse  instinctively  to  step  in  that  direction,  to  prevent 
falling,  just  as  when  you  force  his  weight  forward  he 
advances  his  feet  to  receive  it.  This  is  the  secret  of 
Baucher's  treatment,  and  its  perfect  mastery,  accompanied 
with  practical  skill,  is  j^erfect  horsemanship.  As  soon 
as  the  horse  has  taken  a  single  step  backward,  loosen  the 
rein  and  withdraw  the  legs  from  his  sides,  and  pet  him 
and  praise  him,  to  show  that  he  has  done  what  is  desired, 
which  knowledge  is  dearer  than  oats  to  a  kindly- 
tempered  horse.  After  a  little  he  will  take  two  or  three 
steps  backward,  and  in  time  will  move  backward  as 
gracefully  as  forward. 

Having  taugl't  all  you  can  teach  of  movements  in  a 
direct  line  at  a  walk,  repeat  the  lessons  at  a  trot.  You 
will  have  the  same  difficulty  as  in  the  former  case,  and 
you  v/ill  probably  be  longer  in  overcoming  it.  The  faster 
the  motion,  the  greater  the  tendency  of  the  horse  to  throw 
his  weight  forward  and  to  bear  on  the  bit.  Don't  try  to 
draw  him  back  by  an  extra  pressure  on  the  curb,  but  hold 
your  hand  firm  and  touch  him  gently  with  the  spurs  ; 
this  will  drive  his  hind-legs  under  him  and  take  the 
weight  from  the  forehand.  He  will  in  time  learn  that 
he  can  go  more  easily  and  more  safely  with  his  weight  on 
his  haunches  than  on  his  shoulders,  and  his  gait  will  then 
become  easy  instead  of  hard.  When  he  trots  perfectly, 
teach  him,  which  will  be  easier,  f  o  gallop  with  the  same 
collected  motion.  In  doing  this,  pursue  the  same  routine 
that  has  been  laid  down  for  the  walk  and  the  trot ;  that 
is,  do  not  allow  the  horse  for  a  moment  to  carry  his  head 


FREi^CH   METHOD   0¥   TIIAINING. 


91 


too  low  or  too  far  out,  to  bore  on  the  bit,  as  though  he 
would  drive  his  fore-feet  into  the  ground,  neither  let  him 
commit  the  opposite  fault  of  throwing  his  whole  weight 
on  his  haunches  as  if  to  rear,  and  so  make  eyery  step  a 
miniature  jump.  The  habit  of  "boring"  is  inveterate 
with  some  horses,  and  can  not  easily  be  contended  against 
by  ordinary  means.     Baucher  had  a  device,   which  he 


Fig.  17. — bauchee's  treatment  of  boring. 

withheld  from  publication,  that  is  very  efcective.  Both 
curb-reins  and  the  left  snaffle-rein  being  held  in  the  left 
hand,  in  its  proper  j)osition,  the  right  snaffle-rein  only 
is  taken  in  the  right  hand  and  drawm  upward,  so  as  to 
press  the  snaffle  against  the  corner  of  the  mouth  on  one 
side,  as  shown  in  the  engraving.  This  has  an  effect  that 
an  upward  pressure  on  both  snaffle-reins  entirely  fails  to 
produce,  and  its  knowledge  has  given  to  the  personal 


92  RIDING   AND   TRAINING    SADDLE-HORSES. 

pupils  of  Baucher  a  great  advantage  oyer  those  who  haye 
learned  his  system  from  his  books  alone. 

The  gallop  will  never  be  perfectly  easy  and  perfectly 
safe  until  it  is  what  is  called  perfectly  "  cadenced  " — the 
fore-feet  and  the  hind  ones  striking  the  ground  with 
equal  force,  and  both  neck  and  tail  being  perfectly  supple. 
A  horse  travelling  in  this  way  may  trip  over  a  rolling 
stone  at  every  tenth  step  without  any  danger  of  falling, 
and  he  will  perform  a  journey  of  twenty  miles  with  much 
more  ease  to  himself  and  his  rider  than  he  would  make 
even  five  miles  with,  as  is  usual,  most  of  the  force  of 
every  leap  falling  on  the  fore-feet. 

In  accomplishing  all  this,  as  much  depends  on  the  per- 
fect balance  of  the  rider's  temper  as  on  the  balance  of  his 
weight.  Above  all  must  nothing  provoke  or  startle  him 
to  a  rough  handling  of  the  bit,  which  is  his  chief  means 
of  communication  with  the  horse;  a  mistake  will  be 
interpreted  precisely  as  an  intention  would  be,  and  a  very 
few  mistakes  will  suffice  to  confuse  all  previous  teachings. 
'Tirm  as  a  grasp  of  steel,  yet  soft  as  a  touch  of  love," 
this  describes  the  perfect  hand,  and  while  it  should  yield 
to  the  horse's  proper  movements  and  restrain  his  improper 
ones,  as  it  can  do  only  when  guided  by  instinctive  intel- 
ligence, it  should  be  as  independent  of  the  movement  of 
the  rider's  body  and  of  its  efforts  to  keep  a  proper  seat  as 
though  it  were  an  iron  hand  attached  to  the  pommel  of 
the  saddle.  The  legs,  too,  should  be  ever  ready  to  per- 
form their  office — the  thighs,  to  preserve  the  rider's  seat, 
and  the  lower  limbs  ever  on  the  alert  to  restrain  any  in- 
terruption of  the  equilibrium  by  reason  of  a  faulty  posi- 
tion of  the  horse's  hind-legs. 


CHAPTER  XL 
WHEN   LADIES   RIDE. 

All  the  instructions  contained  in  these  pages,  except 
BO  far  as  regards  those  for  gymnastics  and  for  the  seat, 
will  apply  to  ladies,  when  the  whip  will  take  the  place  of 
the  right  leg  of  the  man. 

The  whip  should  be  strong  and  straight,  and  the  horse 
will  be  trained  to  answer  to  its  application  in  exactly  the 
same  way  as  to  the  pressure  of  the  man's  leg. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  say  a  few  words  about  the  seat. 
We  have  no  improvement  to  suggest  in  a  saddle  by  a 
good  maker,  beyond  remarking  that  it  must  fit  the  rider, 
and  insisting  that,  in  addition  to  the  double  safety- 
stirrup,  the  leathers  should  hang  from  spring-bars  in  the 
tree,  the  bar  inclining  upwards  from  the  front,  so  that 
the  stirrup  may  not  be  detached  in  case  the  rider  carries 
her  left  leg  back,  as  many  are  in  the  habit  of  doing. 

The  lady  should  so  sit  upon  the  horse  that  her  weight 
will  fall  perpendicularly  to  the  back  of  the  horse  ;  her 
face  directly  to  the  front,  her  shoulders  drawn  back,  and 
her  elbows  held  to  her  sides.  She  will  permit  her  body, 
from  the  hips  upwards,  to  bend  with  the  motions  of  the 
horse,  in  order  that  she  may  preserve  her  balance.  The 
reins  are  to  be  held  in  the  manner  prescribed  for  men, 
the  hand  in  front  of  the  body,  and  in  a  line  with  the 
(93) 


94  EIDINQ   AND  TRAIKING   SADDLE-HOESES. 

elbow.  The  whip  is  to  be  carried  in  the  right  hand, 
with  the  point  towards  the  ground.  The  horse  should 
never  be  struck  with  the  whip  upon  the  head,  neck,  or 
shoulder.  To  apply  the  aid  upon  those  parts  will  teach 
him  to  swerve,  and  render  him  nervous  at  the  motions  of 
the  rider.  In  a  lady's  hand,  the  whip  simply  takes  the 
place  of  a  spur  for  the  right  side. 

The  horns  of  the  saddle,  the  superfluous  one  at  the 
right  being  dispensed  with,  should  be  of  such  lengths 
and  curvatures  as  will  suit  the  rider. 

The  right  leg  will  hold  the  upright  horn  close  in  the 
bend  in  the  knee,  by  such  a  pressure  as  the  action  of  the 
horse  or  other  circumstances  will  dictate. 

The  left  foot  will  be  thrust  into  the  stirrup  to  the  ball 
of  the  foot,  and  the  heel  will,  as  a  rule,  be  carried  down ; 
but  when  the  heel  is  eleyated,  the  upper  part  of  the  left 
knee  should  find  support  in  the  side-horn,  and  for  that 
end  the  stirrup-leather  will  be  given  such  a  length  as 
will  permit  this.  By  the  grasp  given  by  the  elevation  of 
the  left  knee  from  the  stirrup,  and  the  embrace  upon  the 
upright  h^rn  by  the  right  leg,  the  rider  will  have  as 
strong  a  seat  as  her  strength  can  aiford ;  and  with  a 
proper  balance  she  will  not  be  likely  to  find  a  horse  that 
will  unseat  her. 

As  a  fall  of  the  horse  is  attended  with  great  perils  to  a 
lady  rider,  she  should  never  be  mounted  upon  an  animal 
whose  legs  betray  any  weakness,  or  whose  knees  give  evi- 
dence of  stumbling,  or  upon  one  that  is  not  master  of 
her  weight.  The  lady  must  see  that,  in  turning  to  the 
right  or  left,  her  horse  leads  on  the  side  to  which  he 
bends,  and  she  should  carry  her  inside  shoulder  slightly 


T\^HEK  LADIES  RIDE.  95 

back  at  the  same  time,  so  that  the  center  of  gravity  of 
the  mass  will  be  preserved.  The  leg  will  support  the 
horse  in  turning  to  the  right ;  the  whip  will  give  support 
in  turning  to  the  left. 

The  lady  who  desires  to  excel  in  horsemanship  should, 
when  an  opportunity  offers,  witness  the  performance  of 
some  school-rider  of  her  sex.  A  few  public  lessons  from 
such  mistresses  of  the  art  will  be  of  very  great  advantage. 


